COMPENSATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1821, 21 April 1888, Page 2

COMPENSATION.

TO THE EDITOBi

Sir, — I have read with interest yoar leadara and the letters which have

appeared m your columns on the above

question, and fee) pleased to see the matter ventilated through yoar valuable paper. I freely admit that there are two sides, and believe every man's honest oplnlou Bhould be heard. I was sorry to see the harsh and saroaotio way m whioh Mr Thonaaa treatad poor insignificant J.D. without giving him any oredit for being alr-care as he should have done even if they could not agree. It ia evident Mr T. has read from the Book of books aa ho U3ea Buoh quotations as " blind leading the blind ' and " seeing through a glass darkly," but he must have missed the golden rule to do unto others as he would they Bhould do unto him, " judge not" eto. I should like to warn Mr T. that he may fiad auoth r Juntas m the "noodle" J.D. if he is not oareful, although he treats him so contemptuously. Me T. baa no need to pray -Heaven that J,D. may not bo a par/loan, any more than he ne^da to put up a like prayer for himself. I notice he uses the phrase " compelled by the Sta'e to baild large houses," Now he knows quite well that no one is forced, but that it is a free will

spaoalation, with all its riaka, to make money, juat as Matsjn and Co. went m to build that large store In West Street, I

should not be surprised to bear that they would be pleased to see theic mouey again, Then again he talks of houses belug properly oondaoted. Yes, If they ! were co, how little oause we should have to complain. Bat are they 1 Mr T. infers the contrary, because he aßka teinpersnoe people to help m carrying out the laws " But be does not say m what way. Would he havo these silly noodles becoming honorary deteoiives? (( Perish the thought," especially when men like D.T. v^re on the Licensing Gommittitee, and the staff of the Police, Mujistrate, eto , are paid by the publio to enforce and maintain the laws. if they cannot do it with all their po^or, who can ? Not the noodies lam sure. I must confess, I thiuk that, if the police were willing, more oould be done m the direction oi seauring the proper pj>aduot.of theao houar a. lam Bure two or" three good Tiotete wlthout-

drink would do well m A*hburton, but does Buoh a population as we have, need six or seven drinking places? Mr T. knowa right well that we do not, for 1 bave heard him Bay bo. He gosa on to t&ke J.D, to task re the slave busineea, and wanta to know what England paid the milliona for. The caae 1b not equal, the alavea were property juat like the build - inga are, and had not a prospective but a real value, and were bought out and out. Neither Mr T. nor any other man can aay truly it was. Might v. Right, when the Statea went to war and gave the slaves their liberty. But better and greater men than he maintain it waa God and Klght that carried the day. No doubt there were deserving men among the nlave owners as well as among the publicans, but the trade w&s bad, aud had to go wl'hout oompenattion. 1 wish Mr T; would remember when writing for ihe information of ua, illiterate noodie* that plain English quotation) would be far better understood than aomo he used. I admit that it depanda a little upoa which eide ycu are on as (o the conclusion, and although bit T. proc'aima hlmaelf a

great Temperance miv, it lookß as if he haa a learning another way, I. am glad ho let us knoiv; he may be called upon for a speech aomo day, .No doubt hfa eloquenoo wojld have a graud effeot. I

canuotsee how ho can expect Temperance people to put their handa m their pockets to pay off (i;ot pubHoina but generally) the big brewera." I think compensation would be right enough paid on the following lines, that is when a hotel ia ahut up by the majority of the psople, tho trade itself should pay the o .mt, fur they niuat get the benefit if thura ia uny, ja3t the aame as If one grocar bought snoihor out, I think this ia a fair buainoaa principle, and when we o*me to tho last license, then, it would be time to aak the people to pay. I underatand that m Vio orla aomethiug on thla wise ia being tried, compensati m ia to be paid out of the liquor revenue. Dogb Mr T. mean to a>y all Temperance men know nothing about the hotel businesa or doluga because they do not go into them? Enough can be seen outalde, but he xnu3t not forget that many temperanoe workera know by bitter experience probably rouoh moro thau be dooa, aod, I hope, than he ever will iv that direction. Again, ha saya people cannot be made sober by lawa. We know th»t that, m part, ia true, but if that argument were carried far no Jawa would ever be made to reveal; th'ievoi, robbers, etc. " Lead ua not into temptation" haa 1 ub mnoh force to-day as evnr, and prevention is better than euro. Mr Gladatone says it ia the duty of the State to make it easy to do right; and hard to do wrong. I think he is right. In concluaion I may say that I do not go about tho country preaching "no compensation and "down with the publloana," etc, but aimply beg the people, m my humble way, "not to drink, and I am sure If they do that we shall have do trouble about compensation, for the trade will die a natural death, joat like 'cho Flomingtou Uotol did a faw yeara ago, whon moat of the people went m for iemperance, I always understood Me T. to be a man of principle, but if I remember r ght ho did not always sign his name to hia effuaiona, which 1 do not think it ia needful for me to do on tub oooaslon, for I am oaly

Another (ao-cilled) Noodlb. This subjact has vow boeu amply vontihted, and aa there ia not tho 'slightest probability of either side convlucing the other, tha correspondence must now oloao. — Ed ]