WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 3 August 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE LIQUOR PROBLEM. EFFICIENCY BOARD SUGGESTS REFERENDUM. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 1. The truth concerning the recommendations of the Efficiency Board in regard to the liquor traffic is out at last. The contradictory statements of the local newspapers as to the nature of the recommendations has forced the hand of the Government and the full text of the Board’s suggestions are available to-day. It seems that all the newspapers were assisted by some measure of intelligent anticipation in their speculations. The Board discusses the problem from three aspects, the moral.

the financial and what may be called the utilitarian, and while summing up in favour of the suspension of traffic for the period of the war and for six months after, it recognises that “prohibition is a people’s question’ ’and holds it must be finally determined by a popular vote. It suggests that this vote should be taken at once and that in the event of the electors deciding in the affirmative “reasonable compensation” should be granted to the people directly engaged in the trade. Needless to say the prohibitionists are delighted with the Board’s report, rather for its inferential condemnation of the liquor traffiic than for its suggestions of reform, and very hope-' ful of something being done towards the promotion if their cause during the present session. tv A PROHIBTTIONST’S VIEW. The member for Christchurch North may be fairly congratulated upon the moderation of the little speech in which he welcomed the Board’s re-

port to the House. Just how far the member for Christchurch North is entitled to speak on behalf of the official prohibitionists in'these days it is difficult to say. His experience in Parliament has taught him what is practicable and what is impracticable in the way of reform and probably his readiness to accept the half loaf rather than go without bread has sometimes tried the patience ,of his impetuous friends. But -his acceptance of the facts as they exist has enormously increased his influence in the House and in the country, and his attitude towards compensation may bring his former colleagues appreciably nearer to thpir goal. He does not believe the liquor trade is morally entitled to one penny of compensation, but 'lie believes the injury it does to the nation to be so great he will not strongly oppose the payment of a price for its abolition. Were the platform of the Prohibition Party amended along these lines even the present Parliament might be induced to look upon it with some favour. THE, OPPOSITION VIEW. The Opposition view of the Board’s suggestions, though critical enough, is much less emphatically hostile than might have been expected. A member of the House, who may be taken as fairly representative of the large body of politicians who think the trade should be mended and not ended, said this afternoon that he andhTs friends would have no objection to State control with compensation on the lines indicated by the members of the Board. They would not even insist upon compensation without regard to the possibilities of the licensing poll. They would be satisfied with the assumption for the purpose of valuation that the licenses would endure for nine or ten years, but they objected to the war being used as a lever to oust the trade. They also objected to the Board’s sweeping condemnation of liquor as an evil thing in all circumstances and the member himself thought this tended rather to weaken than to strengthen the case for temporary prohibition. The member is in favour of six o’clock closing, but he does not approve of the further restrictions suggested by the Board and does not believe they will be accepted by the House.

THE GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE

Of course the fate of the Board's suggestions depends entirely upon the attitude of the Cabinet towards them. That Ministers are divided upon the question of early closing and in the bigger question of prohibition is known to everyone, but it is understood a majority of them incline towards the minimum of reform. A week or two ago it seemed as if eight o’clock closing was the most the advocates of restriction could expect and so far the Cabinet, :ls it appears in the House, has shown no sign of being greatly influenced by the Board’s report. An objection urged in some quarters to the proposed referendum is that it would give the Government an excuse for asking for a

dissolution An older that the Parlia*4( mentary elfecfion might take place at the same time. It is thought this would be a good tactical move from the Government’s point of view in that it would give Ministers a renewed lease of life, but it is a course party leaders could scarcely adopt ' without stultifying what they have reiterated aboiit the necessity of preserving peace and concord during war time.