PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 36, 19 November 1920, Page 7

PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN.

RECENT EVENTS IN AUSTRALIA. Mr James Marion, who has held the position of general secretary of the New South Wales Alliance, arrived in Wellington by the Ulimaroa on Monday. He is under a two years' engagement to the New Zealand Alliance, which c6vers the period between now and the next licensing poll. Mr Marion has figured in practically all the big anti-liquor con- ! tests in Australasia within the last 15 | years, and last year was 0*ie of AusI tralia's representatives to the Inferna- ( tional Prohibition Conference in the ' United States of America. He also made an extensive tour of the prohibition States of U.S.A. and the provinces of Canada. Referring to the position in Australia, Mr Marion said that there was no other sign than that of supr,eme optimism in the "dry" ranks of the Commonwealth. Gradually the forces making for prohibition were closing in on the liquor traffic. Six years ago in every State liquor bars were open until 11 p.m. Today four out of the six States— New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania— had six o'clock closing. This reform was acclaimed by thoughtful people as extremely beneficial. The movement towards prohibition was going strongly, and when the subject was better understood a majority vote would ohtain in every State. Last month licansing polls had been

taken in Victoria and Queensland. In Victoria the areas were very small, and the incidents of local option, where oniy a small area could win out, and further where a vote for no-license was transferable to one for reduction, gave the opponents of no-license a very subtle argument against reform. In Queensland the issue was for straight-out prohibition. Queensland might be regarded as one of the most difficult States to win out in, and yet a 46 per cent. vote had been recorded for prohibition, which was a great surprise even to prohibition workers. Had prohibition won in Queensland this time a further vote in three years would have been necessary before the reform came into operation five years hence. That vote would still be taken in three years time, and if prohibition won the State of Queensland would go dry in 1925. The State control issue was not taken any more geriously in Queensland than in New Zea. land, and should forthwith be eliminated from the ballot paper. Mr Marion will he located at '"Dunedin, but will from time to time 'visit other partg of the Dominion and deliver his lecture "Uncle Sam Sobers Up."