THE ALLIANCE AND LIQUOR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 737, 9 February 1910, Page 5

THE ALLIANCE AND LIQUOR.

WHAT. ISfITS TIB^-POlNTf^

j;V:;'-an: iNcpNCiiUsrp: deb^/k;;!^:^;^ v (By '?&: ■ ; - ; ; ;;■■',;!' V; ' ; :Auckland, February; B.^'C'-'-VS:^ ;Attho T.M.C.A. rooms last night a tax ■:?■?& bate---:took>':'place:'--'betwee4'^'- , Mr.--!-.'W;---'-: s .v;''--- : t' Eichardson, leader of the Auckland Tem-:-' : 'vi-"■ perance. Crusaders,,: and Mr.: W. J. Mac-:-,; ■;- : rV , ;.; dermott,-. a local member of the: New Zeo* , - : - i' ■' land rAlliance. ; ; The debate' arose out of iv ; chollengo iraucd-. by: Mr. Richardson: to -:.:V; Mr. Macdermott as to the statement.that r '''- the New. Zealand Alliance platform:. andi^'•' ?■■<■"•'■ policy originally., or: at .any .subsequent-i '-:;; I ''! period,, embraced the v legislative -suppres--.' ■iv ; : , * sion and prohibition, of ..the personal use-:. of .intoxioltihj?..liquore:as beyeragea. The!■ i'fi adjudicators-in tho,,debate were a. com- , ,"■•:-'-'i'o -mittee of eighteen, consisting of nine per-'- ■.'■(}-' : < sons nominated-by. each .disputant.'•:;":.' : i °:.: ; ;'';-!: : j .'Mr. Eichardson, opened by quotingfrom-. - v'; 1 V:"; .old, members', of .-the ; Alliance papers with- i-v^i , ': intent:.to show that at one timfi'.the'-piil-''/"-.' , "-.-'- ioy'' of, the Alliance ; was 'absolute prohibi-. -I: V:'. 1 ' tion,;whioh was,'in;his' opinion; very-dif-'rA-' *'~-h' ferent. from No-License.': He argued that .'■ No-License! was not: by^y, :means^tharAr'^si to .the sale-of liquor, rfle" knew that:it'.■■": <;',s--\ prevehted'tho' sale of. liquor by'the pinti ■ :. but.;it did', not /prevent tho saleor pur- ■'■".' ■• VI;chasopf; it by. the. gallon, .or the.hogs- 'V.: i}. ! ' head; or the,shipload.:. In No-license:; . : 7'->"? areas the.consumption of liquor ..was .not. :.:;i/":prevented, .and was, he! thought,: scarcely ■ • ■•'-::5 diminished. , The , railways carried liquor • i,C.-; ! . : into so.-oalled.-. prohibited ' areas," > and.-.' v':-;'?:■: wagon-loads, of: the': stuff :was -taken; into -i Grey Lyiin,every, dayi ; The altered plat-'v:: f' '/.; fohn'.or the Alliance, by whioh..they at- \-:\ V';-i'\ tempted- to'- catch the: vote of- the. moder- y. -.'■''■■s] ate.drinker by .tolling him that he would.-:: : ','-.'i) be permitted to , have liquor in his housed, ' : but would not.be permitted.to buy it in 7;-. ;;■'•:: ■the bar.'of a public-liouse, was!'in>'hie" .■■-<*':'# opinion;; incohsistcftt : ..'\rith : V temperance ,■ :■'Su .principles." He favoured :'the : notprioue' .: v;Jv and much-shrieked-at Clause/9 of the late , ' : Mr./.Seddon's -Bijl, which hid been- '■ , v .;.'. donined a6-.inquisitorial, and. arttued that. " ■;.■■; ;it'-:was .not'.'more./inquisitbrial:than;• the,";':';•!•-'■ legislation-;jn :some;: of: .the American'- ..>; ! ; States.., He stated also,that there".was an':- •;; opiftiottcurrent circles to'Eng-:-:/.,:: .'rj land thathpme drinking was" worse, than ;:::;C ; /: : ;:' public-h<ni6e drinking.-/In his/own opin-":,'T:'. i;;:f. publi6-house:<was:'bad Onlyv.be-V'V;vuy cause if 6old 'drink.' The real ;evil.-wai : K'■/;./•-/',; the drink,' He pointed but.that the . Alii-.::W;ft'fl' ance had mado its fatal mistake in 1902—.. ~-'\- -: : <:-v: tho year, it-: g&itied;'its''.first.:..'majority;.;; (3000) at the polls, arid; he. thought thatv?' ■ now, whon: they, • had had' a • majority' of / ■.'.:■:'•'.':/:',-; 33,000,-they.ought.to"go back;to ( %ir old;';;. platform or vacate their-positibns.in,fayr'': .'liK-: our of people of iribrc:spirit. 1 ■f'^-::,'-^ ,^:; ::rfi i . Mr.' ■ Macdermott,:. in -.reply,' said." that " : K-";:-..! the" fight of the Alliance : : was the "Trade," and/not against the'.be'ver-;. : V':;;o. : ;-'-;.; age, pr ; .the/use of: h'quor..' They" rather, to' eave -froin the:ovils. of':driak'^i ■'': "•'S;;i:j the '■'men who,::Sb.long■ as"liquor .was' to;j/v/V'.y bo. oßtained legally,- would obtain it. ,H»:;f : - .Jγ;] absolutely.denied that , the/New. Alliance had'eyot fought a'gaijjst.the.ufee,<:'..'-:: : ,5! of' liquor. " That.-.work;'was ■.uhdertaken:'/ yjaV} ,by other societies; .Personally .the bers'oftheAlliance/who were/, all tee-..:/'/.: ; -d totallers;.v.'islied to see the use of liquor.'.".".; .absolutely stopped/but,/,fpr the present,;.';:":;;?*! that could riot b« done. : It was not a .v.:; : v':j ■feasible proposition'- to have/it .included ::■■.«'' in:a Local Option -Bill;-.particularly, by. -..Xi/i..:'': the.agericy of such/a provision:-as that:..;;: ! ,',: contained'in Clhuse 9. Under our ■sys-'. ;'":■;;";£; tern Of small licensing areas it would : be -itnpossible'to' have such'a law. 1 It mighti; v'.'i:-:«! under sonie oircumstances, - make .a[ brim-:.;-:-.,/■'.": inai of a man'who. crossed the' etreet ~>.':::.-« from his Own : house, and ~bought that i-'r...;;;;:] whioh the law of the State allowed him ';.'■ to buy: .■'.He urged : the., advisability _of uniting'under one flag all the enemies vf;. /-S.J of the liquor-trade, and-'that.obiect the, "',:.'-■..'.,;■, 'Alliance sought to further. :'However;/:. : ;: : , ; the. Alliance. was. riot against' the . bar.^.'•,;. .trade. only, but' against. any. and : ; every , - }-y-fl.l ! : form of license under;which-liquor'.could , . A.■£■';£ he .sold.-"-...- ;-./;■' ; : ■'■•■ ■ • "■■ ■■•■-.■ ''.-■ ,■■ ■-:'■•.',;'!'/-i/-:/;.::::' ; :;S';Mr.;.Eichardson replied' briefly, tovMr,-. , Macdermott,, and .Mr.; : Macdermott : .re-:■:■; VS.; piled to him,' and' thon n voto was taken v '■ Tho of; was!:; tils'- : : nirie toted in favour:of Mr.-Richardsort! '.:'■*.:■';■.''*!•'< and:nine in'favour ;'.of. Mr. Jfasdermott \fi-:.'/x and, as •. tho chairmali.. had: iio:;casting;:>;;! !; y J vote;' he could only [declare : ', the result :.,.'-; .5;;; a'draw/ ; : : ' '•. r : : ,/--,-';.- ';- V :; . ■■','-.•..: ! '■■i! : -!,!-:'!.Vr. : ;>*)