THE LICENSING QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2664, 20 November 1909, Page 7

THE LICENSING QUESTION.

NO-LICENSE PARTY’S VIEWS.

THE RECENT AGREEMENT. A .large' audience gathered in the Petone. Oddfellows’ Hall on Monday night in expectation of further enlightenment on the No-license.question. The Rev. T. A. Williams,, president of ( the Hutt No-license League, occupied the chair. “I am particularly proud,” said the Rev. Mr. Dewdney, one of the representatives. at the conference with the Attorney-General, “to belong to the temperance party of Now Zealand, because wo have a groat host of earnesthearted • men and women at our back who are so intent on the great reform at which they aim, so eager to see the ultimate issue, that they are jealous up to the point of anger when anything is done or suggested, that looks like coming between them and their goal. A party whose earnestness is so intense is bound to win. lam proud to belong to our party for another an absolutely democratic party. No executive, no member of Parliament, nobody within its ranks, has a right to say, or even attempt to say, ‘You’ve got to go just wherever we want you.’ ”

—“Wrecked the No-license Party.”

These remarks were made in the light of the experiences of the past weeks—weeks during which lie had had the honor of being associated the negotiations they had heard of. 1 ‘koine of you, I know, are eager to discuss the compromise. I have been exceedingly interested in reading the different opinions on the matter which liavo been expressed by our friends in different parts of tlie colony. "NVitli some of the newspapers there is a considerable body of feeling that we have wrecked the No-license party. And some think otherwise.”

—The Lion and the Lamb. — At their quarters in Wellington, their daily experience was ardent letters coming from their friends all oyer the colony thanking them for having done what the writers considered to be “a fine thing!” Then came the teleora ph boy with a telegram of . condemnation ; then with a message of approval. Such was the hourly experience—-“mut-ually destructive criticism on tlio one hand, and on tlie other some of mu friends and some of our foes telling uswe’ve done an exceedingly fine thingHe had read that day of a little boy wlie had excused himself for leanrngover the keyboard of a piano, gazing at the music instead of practising, by saying that be was “practising the pauses!” And the pauses were a splendid thing to practise sometimes.' Let me suggest to you to wait until the Government has prepared its Bill, anc until it has circulated its Bill, y«b should withhold your judgment so that you may not jump to 'conclusions, which are not warranted.” Until the actual measure itself is in their ham s, and they saw what was proposed to be done they -should calmly wait. In a very short time the measure would be in circulation, and he would suggest to them that they then call their workers together and go through the Bill, clause 'by clause. An Unknown Measure. — And wo-will listen with the utmost interest to any conclusions you nray come to, and respect most heartily any wishes you may express. I offer you this'counsel because I do not want you to waste time to-night discussing a measure you. don’t know. It may bo that when the most ardent of you who feel now that we' have made a mistake know the wliolfe position your tears may dissolve into joy. You may find that the com•paet marks a tremendous stride onward, and brings nearer by twenty years, as has been said by one commentator, the ultimate gfoal of tlie temperance party.” —A Matter of Opportunism. — Some people had jumped to the conelusion that the ' skeleton agreement published was actually the Bill that they had presented to Parliament. It was nothing of the sort. Their representatives had met Dr. Findlay and had some consultation with him. Representatives of the other party had done likewise. “But we had already enunciated our demands, both to Dr.‘Findlav and through the press. And we do not abate one iota of those demands. We have neither eaten our principles nor departed one hair’s breadth from that platform. But, because a way presented itself by which we could reach our point the sooner, we resolved to take that way. If you think we fiave done wrong, well, say so, and we 11 bear the blame.” None of those who had acted in the matter had any personal interest to serve. Ho himself had spent the best part of the day for three weeks engrossed, in the negotiations. It was by a higher impetus' than any that was of man that they were driven. —A Call to the Politicians There was' no question which had laid hold -of the interest of -the people of New Zealand to any tiling like the degree that the temperance question had done. Wliat did that mean? Why, that this was the liveliest issue of all. And politicians and all concerned, with the social and political advancement of the Dominion had realised that until this liquor question was out of the way the other reforms were being delayed. “Very well, then. We ask them now to, put their shoulders to the wheel and •help us to lift out of the way this hindering thing. And we believe they will respond. We recognise the defects of local option. We believe the only final solution is Dominion option. But if you do not see eye to- eye with us, tell us firmly, and we will try and heed your wise counsel.” —A United. Effort.— The chairman, Rev., Mr. Williams, said events had moved quickly. They scarcely know what a, day might bring forth. He took it that the thing to be chiefly desired to-day was that those who advocated the cause should work side by side with oue aim—to reach a common goal. Whatever .the, ultimate outcome of the famous agreement of last week, and whatever Parliament might do, the old three-fifths handicap had gone forever, so that the fight of the future might be a fair one. For long years, too, tliev had yearned for Dominion option. That, too, had got to come. The aggregate votes cast at the last poll' were only 6390 short of the 55 - per cent, majority. Let them show a united and effective front and he was firmly convinced, that a the next election they would sweep the polls and dispose of this liquor traffic once and for all. (Applause.)