LICENSING LAWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9671, 9 December 1909, Page 3

LICENSING LAWS.

EFFECT ON NO LICENSE MOVEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. CHRIrfTCHURCH, December 8. The Rev. E. Walker, who arrived in Christchurch this evening, thinks that the No-license Convention's endorsement of a part of the compromise made by the lenders is >o' a fair expression of opinion of tlu I. license Party generally. "I judge this," he said to an interviewers "from the spontaneous expressL>os, to the. contrary of all sorts of the rank and file, people, and especially business men, not prominently appearing in the movement, whom I have met recently in travelling. Besides, 1 think the conventio:i was called under restrictive conditions, which prevented it being such a expression, and that notwithstanding this, if it had been sum.nonsd before instead of after the leader?) had publicly committed the party tha compromise would never have been heard of. The determination of the convention not to agrees to the proposed method of voting has wrecked the compromise. I tiiink trwre will be a general sense of relief; but in view of an inevitable alteration of ' the law, I shall be surprised if the Trade does not surrender on that p.siuj in order to avert legislation which would give fuller expression to the rights of the electors." Mr Walker thinks that the No-license movement has been temporarily weakened, the psychological momer.t for a splendid advance all along the line having been missed. He thinks the party should revert at once to the platform of the recent popular demonstrations in the four centres and prosecute a vigorous campaign, throwing all its energy into the next Parliamentary elections.