MANITOBA AND PROHIBITION.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 87, 13 June 1902, Page 4

MANITOBA AND PROHIBITION.

Some perplexity has boen caused by the discrepancy between the Press Associatioh telegram recently stating that Manitoba had carried Prohibition by five thousand votes, and by an item by mail to the effect that it had been defeated by “a large majority.” Some light is thrown on the subject by the following letter by Mr R. French, in the Auckland Herald :—“When I saw the telegram stating that Prohibition in Manitoba had been carried by a majority of - five thousand, I was somewhat surprised. My reason for being so was that the latest advices stated that the Prohibitionists at mass meetings had decided to abstain from voting. This may possibly surprise some of your readers, and will require some explanation. Within the last two yearsj or so the Conservative Party went to the polls, having State Prohibition §as one of the planks in their.political platform. They were returned. The Government redeemed their promise, initia ting the necessary legislation, which wascarried, and became law. The liquor party then appealed to the Law Courts, principally on the ground that it was incompetent for a State to pass such a law. the Dominion, in their opinion, Being the proper authority. The case went from the Lower Courts ultimately to the Court of Appeal in Eugland, whose verdict established the legality of the State’s action. Naturally, it would be expected that the law would go into force, but the Government, to the surprise of most, decided to first submit the question (which was practically as to whether they should dis charge the functions of Government) to a referendum. To this the Prohibitionists objected, and declined to take any part, but, instead, proposed legal action to compel the Government to discharge their duty. It will be seen that the public had already endorsed Prohibition, so that the inference that Prohibition had been repealed is incorrect.” It is difficult to understand where the Press Association obtained the information. The Times correspondent: at Ottawa, writing on 3rd April, says the opponents of Prohibition in Winnipeg were active and carried the day by 3367 votes, and that “when all the returns are in the majority against Prohibition will be about four thousand.”

Ilia ftdcSotitifi of the? situation agrees with the particulars given by Mr French* though it is less explicit. He says that “the Dominion Alliance- took the stand that as the Act was passed bp the Legislature* it should be enforced Without referring it to the people,” adding that “the consequent inactivity of the party greatly reduced the temperance vote.” The French Canadian settlements voted heavily against Prohibition. Four years ago the province gave a majority of 9291 in favour of Prohibition. He points Out that the conflict of State and Dominion rights would have gone far to neutralise the State vote “Under the recent decision of the Privy Council,” he says, “the Act, if adopted, would have prevented the sale and manufacture of intoxicating liquors, but could not stop their importation into the province, as the latter is a State prerogative.”