OTHER PAPERS’ OPINIONS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 255, 27 September 1928, Page 4

OTHER PAPERS’ OPINIONS.

THE LICENSING BILL. Now there is grave danger of the issue affecting the political contest in the General Election. We are strongly of opinion that the subject should not be the dominant issue in the election. It is not, except to the extremists, of such importance as to warrant every other issue being cast aside. The greatest issue in the election is: to whom shall be entrusted the duty of guiding our national destiny for the next three years? If the licensing question could be aligned with this issue there would be some possibility of obtaining a popular decision; but it cannot be so aligned. That is why we have held in the pas; that the, so-called mandate for the bare majority was not a true mandate expressly given by the electors, and why we now hold that the opinion of the people; cannot be ascertained by pledging individual candidates.

Incidentally the progress of the Licensing Bills demonstrates the pitfalls of the bare majority plan. When the chances and changes due to absence and illness can so affect the fate of a proposal in a compact electorate of eighty voters, how can it be held prudent to trust the bare majority to assure stability in an electorate of over half a million? It is to be hoped that members, in the light of the experience now gained, will realise how unwise they have been to, allow their own hands to be tied. If they again meekly present their wrists for the handcuffs, they will be more foolish still. They will deprive themselves of the right to consider other proposals and other remedies; but they will do more than that. They will help to confuse the issues for voters. The main responsibility for avoiding confusion must lie upon the candidates. If they insist upon reserving to themselves freedom of action, the bogey of “ Liquor votes ” and “ Prohibition votes ” will disappear; but if they timorously consent to be pledged the organised Trade and Alliance Parties will be given a power and authority which properly belongs to the great moderate mass of the people. The moderate voters do not wish this to be the dominant issue in the election, nor do they wish to see the licensing legislation history of this and last session repeated. They desire an honest and sincere attempt by free legislators to introduce desirable reforms and to remove the disturbing influence of the licensing question from the political field if that is at all possible.—Wellington Evening Post.

, The bringing forward of these abortive Bills has not been profitless. It -has enabled the public to see how the direct interference of the Alliance in has brought it about that there is a large majority in , the House pledged to support proposals against which the people gave a decisive verdict on a direct vote. Everyone knows, and nobody would attempt seriously to deny, that the majority that voted against Prohibition opposed the bare majority It would be difficult to find a more striking illustration of the injurious effects of sectional pressure upon political candidates, and the introduction of the Bills will have been worth while if each of the political Parties realises that it should refuse official support to any candidate who offers allegiance to any outside section of any kind whose policy and tactics might conflict with the Party’s own policy and freedom of action. Had this been a riile of the Parties during the last election period a great deal of trouble would have been avoided. It is now a possibility that if the liquor issue continues to disturb and confuse the normal political development of the Dominion those who are tired of it may make it the dominant issue. This is obviously not to be desired, for many reasons. It can be prevented by the enactment of a sound Liquor Law, but such a law will scarcely be possible while the political leaders allow sectional organisations to interefere with the Parliamentary candidates. Christchurch Press.