WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1916, Page 8

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC PROBLEM. (By Our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, August 8. "It is not in the interests of the community that the extent of a man's.earnings in the liquor trade should be dependent upon the amount of alcohol he succeeds in selling," said Mr. T. M. Wilford (Ilutt) in the course of a speech made during the dying hours of the session. "The system means that the retail seller of liquor has a financial interest inducing people to take drink His interest is not confined to the satisfaction of their ordinary requirements. If we had State control of the liquor traffic, this element of private profit would 'be removed and the liquor salesmen would not be tempted to encourage the consumption of strong drink," Mr. Wilford added that he was aware his belief in the virtues of State control of file liquor traffic was shared by not. more than half a dozen members of the House, a statement that drew the interjection, "More than that," from several parts of the chamber. The reference to State control, which appears to be attracting more attention in political circles than ever before, brought Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchnrch North) to his feet. "Private profit is a very important element of evil in connection with the liquor traffic," he said. "But if you substitute community interest in the maintenance of the traffic' for private interest, you will be out of t/he frying pan into the fire. It is my intense conviction after forty years study that the drink problem is not one of distribution at all. If alcohol is placed before the public it will claim its victims regardless of the method of distribution. The drink traffic in any form will always produce an immense mass of human wreckage. . .■ . Then consider what it would mean .to place the liquor trade of this country in the hands of a political party. The trade would develop into the most offensive political machine ever seen here. Tamany of New York is simply the development. of the saloon. Would the Reform party be willing to let our party have the appointment of 1500 liquor sellers?" Mr. Massey; "Certainly not." (Laughter). Mr. Isitt: "There's my point. State control, would mean placing the dominant political party in possession of a complete political machine, capable of tremendous development." CINEMA FILMS CENSORSHIP.. A vote of '£")00 appeared oh the Supplementary Estimates under the heading, "Cost of administration and expenses in connection with the censorship of kinematograph films." The public utterances of Ministers on this subject, do not suggest that they have any clear idea of what return they are going to get for the money. A picture censorship is desirable, but it will not be a simple matter to arrange, and it cannot be brought into dperation at short notice. The picture proprietors in ordinary fairness, must be given time to convey instructions to their buyers in Britain and the United States, and the Censorship Board, or whatever body the Government proposes to create, niiisj provide a basis for these instruction's by laying, down the general principles to be observed in the selection of pictures. Most of the films shown in New Zealand are selected by agents abroad for the various "circuits." Applications from would-be censors are already reaching the Government, but apparently the present idea of the Minister for Internal Affairs is to entrust the work to three or four civil servants,