THE LICENSING QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 276, 16 November 1908, Page 2

THE LICENSING QUESTION.

H was ,-iirely never i-itondud, when tliiWill' Kichard .|uI UJ . Scddon Uu; juuii, Hy tilt.; way, who conceded to the then prohibition movement more than ever could tune been expected, although in ■ln-* liletnnc its leaders rarely gave him credit ior it—put into the hands of the people the power of deciding bv roiorciduui tricnniallv the liconshi" noli issues, tllat ll,e lime would come when (he i.-mics of the I'arliauieniarc po'is would pale into iii.signihrancc compared with the issue of tiie battle between Continuance and Xo-Liccnse. ■Such, we regret to say, is the case today. To very many people practically the only consideration connected bv them with the General Election is the licensing question and tile attitude of candidates thereto. Every other question of national import is, hy a section of the people, subordinated to the licensing question. ..Much as this state of affairs is to lie. regretted, it is difficult In see how it could be otherwise under the system of coincident licensing and electoral voting. With even more, perhaps, than the usual vigor the light lias been fought during the past fe.v months. from the public platform, from the Press, from the canvassers on both sides, a longsulVering public has been wooed by oratory, argument, persuasion cajolery, and denunciation. While there is considerable doubt as to the actua' impression made on the more ieivl headed electors by the various mean; adopted by both sides, it supplies a nio.il convincing proof of the bitterness of tin bailie for supremacy between the con testing sides. The light, to all intern.: and purposes, is now practically over for by ihi- lime, no doubt, the grca body of the electors lias arrived at : conviction, one way or (mother, ujioi the. issue- to lie presented to them fe decision In.morrow. At the same tinu however, we are convinced thai the de cisiou conic lo in very many instances will not bo born of unbiassed and dispassionate judgment. t'nfortunateiy. where parli'saasiiip and vested iulorc.is on Ibe one hand and hysterical reformative desire on the oilier comprise llio "educative" forces on (he question. there are cleimiii- on both sides thai enter into and rob decision, i n very many cases, of honest conviction. On the goal towards which reformers are striving--Hie elimination of drunkenness and iis attendant evils-both sides are agreed. Tail on the methods of bringing about the desired reform there is pleniy of room for a material difference of opinion. The Xo-Licmne parly] pins its 'faith to the effect of the closing

of the hotel bar; their opponents claii. the mere closing of hotels does not n turd the drinking habit. That Kc License does not in the slightest neaa menu prohibition even the No-Lieens party uilinit.. We honestly believe n one can .say what has been the tru cll'eet of the new conditions. Dnmkei; ness, wo admit, so far as the polic records and the public exhibition of Ilia form of degradation is concerned, ha decreased", but we defy alike the com petence of advocates of either side o the question to state to what extcn the drinking habit is. .practised by til people of such districts. That cnormou quantities of liquor are consumed odi chilly we know from Government re turns, but it is quite impossible to as certain the amount consumed legili mutely, but "unofficially," without tak ing into consideration at all the tral of the sly-grog dens. This light, lion ever, has resolved itself not into on against drink, but against the license sale of drink at the hotels. It is almos useless at this stage to talk of the im perfections of' die law, but we do no believe the operation of the present la\ will ever achieve .success for tempo ance. In other words, under the law a it at present exists, No-License ra never have a fair trial. The sincerit; and lofty aim of the leaders of the Nc License party we do not question, Im we do 'think that in relying alone o: the force at present allowed by tile lav of local option as a weapon agains drunkenness they will not achieve th millennium of total abstinence toward which they are directing their vfforts Personally we Relieve that, no matte what measure of success is attained 1>; the No-License movement, the ultimat outcome will he State control. Th State in Xew Zealand has demonstrate, its ability to cope with the abuses o monopoly in other directions, and wti not in respect of the sale of liquor? W knmv that in making this statemen tve will have neither the support of th leaders of the No-License party nor th Trade, but '\ve believe were it not tha candidates for Parliament! are ofte ifvaid to openly state their minds 01 L .he question for fear of incurring tin lispleasure of those who place this que-i :ion before everything else in politics ■hat Plate control would soon be within he realm of practical politics. In con■lusion. let us say that while, we have 10 desire to coorce electors one way or mother on the main issue, we have m ympathy whatever with the reduction i-.uise. which •dmiihi be eliminated irom he ballot-paper. No argument that «c lave, ever heard has shaken our belief n the futility and injustice of reduction.