THE BREWER-PROHIBITIONIST COMPACT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9663, 30 November 1909, Page 4

THE BREWER-PROHIBITIONIST COMPACT.

There appears to be some prospect of the licensing trade and the New Zealand Alliance failing: to keep the , omrft'.t 'nto which it was understood

each party had irrevocably entered. | A Press Association telegram pub-1 lished in our issue of yesterday seems, however, to have been "far too previous" altogether. Although there is some doubt as to the final terms of the settlement there is still ground for hoping that an agreement will be come to. The "New Zealand Times,,'" remarks that "there is to be a conference in Wellington in about a week or ten days' time for representatives of the licensing trade to consider the amendments (separate ballot-papers tor local and Dominion optiop) made by the Nolicense Convention in the compact previously agreed to. In view of this amendment, which the secretary of the Alliance recently admitted was "certainly a departure from one im- ! portant item in the agreement," though not regarded by the convention as crucial, it is very improbable) that the agreement in its amended form will be endorsed by the representatives of the trad»." The Nolicense party can hardly insist upon important departures from the programme, and, furthermore, it should be borne in mind that both parties have agreed to abide by the decisions of the referee, Dr. Findlay. One fact is, however, quite certain that if either party backs out of the agreement that party will suffer in public opinion.