STUDENTS' EFFORT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1298, 29 November 1911, Page 9

STUDENTS' EFFORT.

ON PROHIBITION. RATIIEK MIXED KECEI'TION. convened by the Students' uu 1 ' jCa f? ue > was Ucld in the Tu«u Hall last evening, the hull being completely filled. .Mr. H. 1). Dell, K.C.,'presided, and, associated with him on the platform, were: Professors T. H. Eastcrtield, iM.A., I'h.D., H. ii. Kirk, M.A., and JJ. K. Pic-ken,- M.A., and W. Gray, JI.A., Al.Sc., as welt as the speakers of the ovDiiins,'. . That the meeting was not going to be one in which order and quietness were to be the prevailing characteristics was evident as soon as the speakers took their places, and these iKirtents were amply verilied as tho meeting progressed. Tho chairman, Mivliell, stated, in his opening remarks, that the meeting had been convened by a number of students of Victoria College, who preferred to discuss in that way tho greatest question of the day. No doubt,'as in the various electorates, the college ilself was divided in the sentiments regarding prohibition, and thoso who were speaking that evening did not profess to represent the whole college, but only the feeling among certain of their number. It must surely be a matter of much interest to those preseut to listen to the arguments of the young people of the community, for, with them, lay the future. The older people might not live to see the day wbicli they (the younger people) would assuredly see, but they had the opportunity of listening to tho fresh and youthful arguments of those who are coming into the political life of the day. They had no selfish interest to uphold. No one could say that they were moved by anything but their public spirit. If they thought, ns he thought, that what they advocated was in the interests of the young as well as of tho old of the cdlony, they had no other interest to serve. Ju this movement there wen thoso who were total abstainers, and who held the conviction that drink was not only a great evil, but a poison, and others who were not total abstainers, but who were heart and of tho belief that, this movement was the movement of right and truth and justice, and he, tho speaker, was one of them. Mr. Bell then called upon Mr. lvennedy to state his views.'' , Mr. Kennedy. M.A., LL-8., who met with a mixed reception, as indeed did all the speaker.*, dwelt upon the necessity of alterations in the licensing system. In a mood of remorseful piety, the Trade 'said: "Vote for a clean licensing system, and not for filthy Inhibition. Ihe liquor traffic has been condemned as ton? tho most prolific cause of crime. It had brought shame and suffering to those wno had done no wrong, and was a blot upon •tho country. It was the cause of disgraceful povertv, and was "a brutal assault upon the feelings" of those connected with drunkards.- It was the cause of much of the in.sanity of the country, and of many of our suicides. I'cmedy would only be found in Prohibition. Mr. W. J. M'Eldowney was the next speaker, but, unfortunately, not possessing a powerful voice, much of what he said it was in the uproar. His plea was the justification of a prohibitory law, and, in effect, what he advocated was to cut off the supply of liquor, and there would be a great - decrease in crime, • insanity, and suicide, as well as of poverty. Was the liquor traffic on the side of freedom or opposed to it? Tho next speaker, Mr. C. H. Taylor, M.A., also met with a stormy time, and it was some time before he could go on with his argument, which was designed to demonstrate that tho liquor traffic did not pay tho country. The million a year which was gained in revenue did not pay for the wastage of those going down Kill, for the suicides and for the insane. Tho money' spent in drink would have been spent on better clothing, on better food, 011 comforts, and would have been financial gain in that way. Mr. G. \V. Morice, M.A., next spoke .upon what he claimed to be the success of No-License in Now Zealand, but, so clamorous did the disturbance bedome among a section of the audience, that one of their number was ejected. Mr. Morice went on to speak of tho way in which the Trade had used, as advertisements, fragments of what No-License speakers had said, and had (he stated) interlarded these fragments with their own additions. Ho quoted Masterton as ono of the successful examples: of tho towns in 'which No-Licenso h*ad been carried at tho last elections, and read letters from six doctors there stating that thero was no evidenco of drinking being carried into tho homes or in any way increased. He also compared tho Court lists of' Balclutha and I'ahiatua. Mr. D. S. Smith, LL.B., followed with a speech upon the conditions of success, and on what ho termed liquor fallacies, apd succeeded in gaining of tho big audience almost immediately. Ono of the arguments which he dealt with was that advanced by those in favour of retaining license, viz.: that, by taking away temptation, people wore not made stronger. A father, lie stated, enforced Prohibition upon his son, and then,, when ho was old onough and self-restraint and Other faculties had developed, he could safely go by all the liquor bars in the place. -A resolution was put to the meeting to tlie effect that, as the liquor traffic was the most prolific cause of crime, pauper.ism, insanity, and misery, and whereas all attempts to regulate ' the traffic had failed, and were bound to fail, this public meeting was of the opinion that tho time had come for a total abolition of the traffic, and urged electors to strike out the top line on both ballot papers at t!ho poll. It was- carried, but not unanimously.