TO THE EDITOR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2306, 19 December 1889, Page 2

TO THE EDITOR

Siß,— Your paragraph In yeiterday r i '■ Guardian" relating to reoent local eyenti m oonneoilon with the above question oonoladea aa follows : — " The matter has been the subjeot of much dlsonssion In town to-day, and. the temperanoe seotlon of tbe community are Indignant." Justly so, too. No one who views the whole matter withont prejudice oan oome to any other oonolaeion bnt that a great pnblio soandal has been wrought m our midst. If the liquor traffic has to adopt suoh means ac those under oomment to oarry on Ui bailnm, lt is only further proof of the Iniquity, of the wretohed business, and tbe necessity of sweeping out of the oommnnlty a traffic whioh works oo muoh of evil. Mtjor Steward's Trtenn'al Licensing Committee Election Bill gives tha ratepayers Increased reeponslbllltes, and it Is. to be hoped tbat the temperanoe party will leave no atone uo turned to aecure the return of a committee, pledged to prohibition, the memb-ra of whiob will be above any "trimming." We are tired of those who prfooai adherence to temperanoe principles and always vote on the stde of the liquor traffic Tho next election of Licensing Cim mlttees wiil exoite an intereat on the liquor question never realised previously. The result of years of temperanoe work will be manifest m tbe approaohing oonflot ln publio opinion, and If the liquor party win, it will only be at the cost ci| enormous energy, and thouiands o poends— a viotory whioh has only to be repeated, ti secure the downfall of the whole fabric I hope thti frlenda of justice and right will take some steps to express m a pnblio manner their views upon recent event.*, and alao to call the attention of Ihe Minister of Justloe to the mtnner m wbioh the Licensing Aot is adminUtered In Ashburton. The reoent petition to the Borough Oounoil was signed vory numerously, aod I would express the hope that those signing will be consistent, and withhold Rapport from any Institution whioh seeks to run contra, y to suoh a strong expression of publio opinion m reference to the sale of stroDg drink m the Domain. * 1 am, etc, J. Newman Bottle.