NO COMPENSATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1919, Page 2

NO COMPENSATION.

IN ANY FUTURE POLL. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, April 12. The representatives of the parties in Wellington are waiting for the final results before they make full statements of their views. The heads of the trade organisation, in the meantime, have nothing to say. They prefer to wait until they have final figures'. The leaders of the Efficiency League and the Prohibition Party admit their disappointment at the size of their present majority, and without abandoning hope of final success, they lay down certain conclusions. The president of the Efficiency League and the president of the New Zealand Alliance both told your correspondent to-day that they regarded the compensation issue as settled. The trade had made the question, "Why pay compensation?" its chief weapon in the recent fight. If the trade won, it would be because it had persuaded some people that the payment of £4,600,000 to the liquor interests was a mistake. The prohibitionists, who had supported the payment of compensation on grounds of expediency, in order to secure a quick decision, would accept the liquor view for the future. There would be no more talk of paying compensation. "We will have prohibition for nothing at a future poll", said Mr W D. Hunt. "The Efficiency League induced the prohibition leaders to accept compensation as a matter of expediency. The trade has told the people that if they vote continance this time they can have prohibition later without paying any compensation at all. Well, the league will accept that view. If there is to be another fight, we will fight without the compensation issue, which the trade has used as a weapon against us." The president of the New Zealand Alliance (Rev. R. S. Gray) spoke in terms similar to those used by' Mr W. D. Hunt. He said that they had never admitted that the trade was entitled to compensation. It had consented to the payment in order to secure a quick termination of the trade. If the fight had to be undertaken at another poll, there would be no compensation.