THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 11

THE CAUSE OF TEMPERANCE.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[Tho matter in this column is supplied by a rcprcsontativo of tho Now Zealand Alliance, and Thk Dominion is in no way respoilsiblo for tho opinions expressed therein.] Tho Nev; South Wales Victory. The tired Australian requires a long timo to count his local option votes, so that though the ballot in New South Wales was taken on election day, moro than a month ago, tho last returns are only now to hand. The figures, analysed by the Sydney "Daily Telegraph," show that 463,692 votes were cast, and that theso were distributed as follow :— Continuance 210,371 Reduction 74,721 No-licenso 178,600 Reduction was carried in 65 electorates and continuance in 25; so that wo see the strange result that the issuo for which tho smallest number of votes were cast was the most effective. The anomaly is, of course, explained by the fact that where tho No-liconso votes are not effective to secure no-license, they are added to those for reduction. Thus for no-license and reductioif number 253,321 as against 210,371 for the liquor party. Tho process- by which the no-licenso votes aie added to those for reduction constitutes; therefore, a very powerful weapon against tho trade, as is clearly proved by tho sweepi ig vote for reduction throughout New South Wales, where somo 400 to 500 licenses will now bo cancelled as the result of the popular verdict. In 13 electorates, all in tho country; there wcro bare majorities for No-license; but of course tho issue could not succeed, because in no case, qxeept one, was a threefifths majority attained, and in ono case Allowrie, the required number of votes, 30 per cent., did not .go to tho poll. The 13 electorates aro:—Allowrio, tho Richmond, Gloucester, Sturt, Rous, Hastings, Macleay, Petersham, Broken Hill, Sherbrooke, Gordon, Orange, Parramatta, and Kahibah. The one fact disclosed by the local option poll is '-hatthe liquor trade in New South Wales is menaced just as it is in New Zealand; and those engaged in it, judging from their talk about the nocessit.v for organisation, appear to recognise the fact. £100,000,000. During the last fifty years tho people 'f New Zealand have spent more than £100,000,000 in liquor. What a marvellous differ once it would liavo made to the development and p> ogress of Now Zealand if that £100,000,000 had been spent on farming and other industries.' But tho loss of tho cash's a small matter as compared with tho loss or crippling of thousands of lives. If labour bo a desideratum for a now country, and mor-j especially experienced labour —and who but a fool will deny it?—what disastrous loss stands recorded against the liquor trado to-day 1 The 1905 Victory. In December, 1905, there wero 30 electorates in New Zealand in which more than li bare majority of votes were cast in favour of No-license. They are as follow: — Waiapu .. . .644 Rangitikci .... 130 Newtown 571 ICaiapoi' 290 Masterton . . . 445 ; Taieri .., 256 Bruce ..... 399 Marsden ...... 261 Waikouaiti ... 385 Manawatu .... 260 Patea ..... 382 Eden ........ 237 Oroua ..... 357 Manakau 220 Waipawa .... 355 Timaru 204 llawcra ..... 341 Otaki 8S Awarua 331 Hawkes Bay .. . 55 Pahiatua .... 324 Franklin 77 Eutt 324 Thames ...... 55 Chalmers .... 311 AVairarapa .... 52 Wallace 301 Courtenay ..... 13 Waikato .... 300 Palmersten .... 42 Bay of Plenty . 175 Selwyn 21 Taranaki .... 150 Egmont . .17 Waitaki ... '. 138 Mount Ida .... 16 In each of those electorates a baro majority of votes was scoured, and in addition the number of votes 'opposite tho -namo of each electorate; but, unfortunately, the surplus of votes over'bare majority was not equal to tho three-fifths required, and in each of tho 36 electorates a minority was left m possession of the field. Docs Moderate Drinking Kill? - Thirty-four years' experience of tho United Kingdom Provident Society gives tho following remarkable results:— Total Abstinence Section. —Expected death claims, 8048 for £1,899,628; actual death claims, 5724 for £1,298,348; total, 2324 for £591,280. There were 2324 fewer doaths than —ere expected, and, £591,280 less than expected. Non-abstaining Section. —Expected death claims, 10,869 for £2,463,253; actual death claims, 10,469 for £2,379,242; total, 400 for £84,011.' > Mark the onormous difference. The nonabstainers show only 400 fower deaths than ■.wore oxpected against the abstainers 2324. And only £84,011 less than expected, against the abstainers £591,280. Don't you think theso figures furnish a good reason for voting No-licenso? A correspondent to tho "Allianco News" says that the celebrated medical manifesto in favour of alcohol as a beverage was drawn up by a brewer's barrister,' and sighed by most of the doctors in tho belief that it was the work of a brother doctor. Somo of them aro now squirming'in privato at having been so badly caught. Their carefully-considored, weighty words aro now bung up in publichouses, bearing overhead tho legend, "Pleaso take one." ~ ' State of Kansas. Dr. Sheldon, author of "In His Steps," recently visited England, and during an interview lie said, speaking on tho actual progress of temperance in the prohibition State of Kansas:—Here are somo striking facts—(l) In a State of 1,600,000 persons tlioro aro only. 1500 paupers: (2) thirty-five county gaols are empty; (3) Out of 805 daily, weekly and monthly journals in Kansas, only twenty insert liquor advertisements; (4) out of 105 counties of tho State, 84 are without a single paupor. The total revenue from drink taxation in Kansas, is £12,000, and this includes the Indian territory; and Oklahoma. Both of these aro highly licensed districts. In Nebraska the revenue from drink is six times higher, amounting to £72,000. State Control. "In South Carolina," Dr. Sheldon said, "wo have had for fourteen years a system of Stato control of tho drink trade. The saloons were taken out of the hands of privato companies. Stringent laws wore mado against tho salo of liquor to minors, or on Sunday. This experiment has proved a dismal failure, and, after giving it a trial of fourteen years, the Stato has repealed tho law and gone back to the system of local option. Personally, I can have no sympathy with tho jieoplo who want to take the trade out of private hands, because I believe that this business ought not to bo conducted at all? In my judgmont it is a crime to make and sell liquor. I would ratlior pay a man fivo hundred dollars to break into my house, and the houses of my neighbours, than tho same amount to com'o and sell liquor amongst us. I bolievo tho mischief done would be less in tho former case than in the latter. We regard tho manufacturer of liquor as criminal who stands on the same level as a thief; no brewer would ever bo admitted to Church membership in Kansas, and, as a matter of fact, wo havo no brewers in our Stato."