THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1990, 21 February 1914, Page 7

THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT.

, Sir,—Your correspondent, Mr. William Richardson, makes some , confessions in' Lis letter appearing" id •• -Tim Dominion of February. ,7 that are worthy of not«; Mr.* Richardson is the head and front of thq Prohibition movement in Auckland, and the Prohibitionists of Auckland lead New Zealand.. ;

On the taxation question Mr. Richardson concurs in the statement that one million sterling will be lost to the State, if' Prohibition ■is carried, and ho says 'that .the increase.' in the- money spent on other .dutiable goods • will make- Tip tho loss. Mr. Richardson also adds that the Prohibitionists will "pay their shafo of the Customs duties collected on'tho increased quantity of gonoral merchandise that will be con- ■ sninedi'. , '■. Do Prohibitionists now on an average consume morp than oth'er persons of dutiable- goods? Do Prohibitionists, who are Prohibitionists irom choice, spend any...more 611 dutiable goods they are Prohibitlo"l^!? i ; W'l People' who aro compe led to be Prohibitionists against their will spend any moro 011 dutiable goods than the Prohibitionists do now ? No. ibis kind of expectation is utterly devoid of practicability;'"and- if put seriously to the Dominion Treasurer he would smile nt tho credulity of the Pronibitioni,sts who .put it .forward as an article of their'faith.' . Th 6 loss of. one million sterling of voluntary taxation Which the Prohibitionists would 'destroy is not to bo made up by expecting Prooibydopists ifl spend more on dutiablegoods "than they do 'now, for the fact is that Prohibitionists have as a general thing less to spend than other people in the.community oh dutiable or. other kinds of goods. And Prohibitionists ere not patriotic, otherwise they Would '..derise soiii'e .scheme of "taxing 'themselves for imposing such conditions iipon the country as would cause a loss to the revenue of one million sterling annually. This loss'that excites apprehension in Mr. Massey.ahd other statesmen is with Micawber-like in; difference by Prohibitionists. ' - Mr. Richardson says, "the majority' of our criminals are drinkiiig men." But nflW prst forh jt of c "nie such as those nffectmg morality, burglary, forgery, not ,'l r rJ l' ryj <.^°! 1 T- efe ' al are Mot donoby 'drmljifag men," but bv .sober-calculating., criminals j and af. though our drink, bill and drink consumption have becn.increasma- in 'New rorms of. Bdnous.crime have beende creasing. The Prohibition ■ fl fflaa must bo. a. drinkiiig man befofo A? \ e i & T min . al ■'*'^Ploded.. aeals'ii'^'+i! 150 ! f ac !''Shtful .when lie. «eais with tho decreasing consumption nff-sffiSTfsatifr' quantities of home-made »™ consumed; which do not' g,t 0 in the 8 It A ro .- t "-- b ? Il «o i from this prohibition! istthathome-inade intoxicants and their home-conimniption is the cause of increas.ng. insanity • and yet, as the Pr?' , übitionists would not prevent men aikl , S b r Wl,l8 +I their o«'n' intoxicant 3n their homes they would herald in -i license' 0 ?!, 0 ' &b "f license that would give, a powerful incent.ve to home-making, honte-drinking "Intemjipranee t^Mnkin^'i^'da msaiio in, -New- Zealand -some; 12 cases are attributable;: to i^ n W?'-? te B * ; «arp.at--tributable to 'intemperance in religion " intemperance ; in morality," "intemperance m. hpreditary tendencies,", intompo,r? J n S o .; ln P ro ! l iMti.pii,"iind other .neurotic,'evils'to which flesh is- prone.' Ono word mprfl, In'controyersion of Jny_ proofs that prohibition stagnates business and population,, Mr. RichardA ", ckland in strike: time, \\ ith bars closed," ho says;' "although men were idle, the fruiterers- and greengrocers in Auckland experienced quite a boom in business, whioh ceased as soon as the Bars were"again opened." Letnie qiloto a Dominion telegram as typical of the. condition of Auckland under temporary prohibition:— . ' . -■"■'. RAID ON GREENGROCER'S SHOP! QUANTITIES OrWQUOR SEIZED.

(By Telojraph.-Pross' Association.) Auckland, Novembor. 19. Acting upon a .search-warrant, the police''raided a greengrocer's shop in Alexander Street to-night and seized a quantity of gin and whisky. The--shop was occupied by William and Mabel Constance Wilkinson. ■ Their names and tliose of three men and a woman wero taken with a view to a prosecution. The liquor seized was secreted in various parts of the. < shop and adjoining ' . rooms. :. When the polico entered two .'men were drinking in 0110 of . the rooms. ■.■. j '■-~.. Mr. Richardson says,the greengrocers had "quite' a; boom in business, which ceased as soon as the bars were again opened," and tho prohibitionists would prefer illicit drinking with all its attendant evils.; Mr. Richardson's confession proves th.it a licensing system; / is preferable, to Prohibition, even temporary, prohibition, in Auckland.—l am, etc., .: ... TEMPERANCE,