THE LICENSING QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10451, 17 October 1911, Page 5

THE LICENSING QUESTION.

[To The Editor.j Sir,— It is now ju6t about three years since I Avrote to your paper in a similar strain- to what I am now about to write. It seemß strange to me, and must do to other- readers, w|hy the brewers and those interested vilio have so much at stake, or those connected with the. "trade," give anyone room to write at all. My object in writing was to draw the attention of those gentliemen associated with the liquor trade to the fact that the people* of M'asterton electorate were called upon to attend no fewer than four meetings, and to listen, to the No-license advocates, who would tell us all the advantages we would' get if- we carried No-lic-ense ; but I noticed that not once did the "Trade" send along any of their representatives, and tell us where these No-license men are wrong, or it would be too late, and we of the Msvsterton electorate would have to make up our mind® how to votte. Well, tlje ydid not send them along, and whfcit was the result ? What v.ere we to do? We could not disbelieve tlliese men until their statements had been pi'oved false by the other side., and they were not proved false. Now, Mi* Editor, the same thing is occurring at the present time. We have been called' upon to again listen to the No-license people three different times within twelve months, and yet not once have we had the pleasure of listening to the Trades representative. Why is it? They want us to voite for restoration,: and they. tell us of all the evils that crop up under No-license through all the papers in the Dominioiii But they never tell .us . from, the public platform. . How can any man or woman be expected to vote for licenses ivihen they tun not hear from those who know, or are suppo&ed to kaow., what benefits we should get by voting for restoration. Under the .circumsitanccis, I could not go and vote for restoration no more than i could vote for continuance three years ago. There is nothing I would like better than to be called upon to listen to the other side of the question, as I am a man who believes that .there are two sides to every question. So again I must conclude by saying, "Hurry up, Mr Brewer, and send along your representatives and tell us- where these No-license people are wrong, or the people of the wliole Dominion will have made up their, minds how to vote, and it will be too late." I am, etc., "WONDERIOR."