WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3508, 10 June 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DRY AMERICA.

EFFECT l‘{ Kl-TW ZEALAND. I (Special Cc-rrespondct)_ . WELLINGTON, June 9. The contending parties in the liquor campaign here express widely different views as to the probable eficct of a. “dry” America upon the next licensing poll in New Zealand. The Moderates profess to be relieved by the prospect of the experiment being tried in the United States. There is time enough. before the next poll in the Dominion,” one of their leaders said this morning, “for the States to demonstrate to the whole world that prohibition is impracticable and to save this country from committing the same egregious blunder.” This authority spoke with every appearance of absolute sincerity. The Prohibirtionists, on the other hand, declare that the decision of the ‘law courts in America has sealed the fate of the liquor trade" in New Zealand as effectually as it would had it been pronounced by the electors of the Dominion. They will not relax their efiorts to secure success, but they will pursue them with redoublcd assurance of ult.ima_te victory. THE BALLOT PAPER. One of the main efforts of the Prohibitionists between this and the next poll, it was gathered while ascertaining their views concerning the news from America, will be directed towards securing what they call a “clean” ballot paper. They have no rooted objection to “State Control” appearing on the ballot paper as an alternative issue, so long as it is made ‘really an alternative, and not employed as a device for defeating Prohibition as it was, they maintain, last December. This means, presumably, they would accept the‘ three issues, Continuance, Prohibition, and State Con-3 trol, provided they were submitted to; the electors under a system of prefer-1: ential voting and each issue in the‘ country pitted against each other is-‘; sue. It is doubtful, however if the‘ Government would ‘agree to an "agree-A ment of this kind. For one thing,l it would_con_l.mit Mr Massey and hisl colleagues to""the principle of prefer-1 ential voting. and that is a develop! ment the "Prime 'Minister at presentq is not regarding with much favour.l * PILLAGING, ' _, ' |

Forsome time ‘past the amount ‘_ ofl pillaging going on at the Wellington“ wharves has been an absolute scandal." and from inquiries made yesterday it! would seem that in in spite of all the precautions talienl by the firmsnand in?‘ dividuals immediately concerned, the evil continues to grow. It has been‘ estimated that the total losses sins-_ tainea. by the shipping companies andfi the _importers_ at all the ports in Newi Zealancl, of which Wellinigtonlis no-I toriouslyothe worst in this’ respeet,: amounts to £40,000 or £50,000. a year, but a merchant seen yc>tt".‘<lay“Sai(l the la'r-ger of these figures ivas far below the mark. In his own experience the losses amounted to fully 2 per cent. on the value of the goods im- W ported, and in the long run became a definite charge upon the consumers who had to pay the cost of increased freights and additional insurance_ No one seems ready with a remedy. The shipping companies doubtless find it‘ more convenient to insure themselves against loss than to institute prosecus tions and so the pillaging is passed on to the cost. of living. I

RECKLESS DRIVING. The remarks made by the Coroner yesterday at the conclusion of the inquest on the victims of the Sandon motor collision should move the authorities to take ,some effective steps to stop the reckless driving so prevalent throughout the whole of the Wellington province. In Wellington city the peril is almost as common as it is in the country districts, and yet unless an accident with very serious results occurs a prosecution for excessive speed is of the rarest occurrence. Cars are habitually driven in the streets at speeds varying from fifteen to thirty miles an hour and along the country roads a driver must lag behind unless he travels at forty miles an hour or more. On occasions, particularly in journeying to race meetings and similar gatherings, fifty miles an hour is by no means an uncommon speed maintained for considerable distances. Where are the police?