"FOR OUR SOLDIERS' SAKE."

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2703, 24 February 1916, Page 6

"FOR OUR SOLDIERS' SAKE."

Sir,—Who are the several unknown persons who have held a mysterious meeting among themselves for the purpose of creating an agitation against

hotels? Ostensibly those person's arc agita ting against hotels and advocating early closing in tlie interests of SO L diers. 1 would advise tliem not to be silly. The soldiers are being entrustod with the vital interests of the Empire, and they may be trusted to take care of themselves. l Some few nia.y not be able to control a thirst or an appetite when they arc deprived in camp of liquid t;efroshmont; but tlie nlflSUlff of hotels is llot tie ratnarlv far

that. The hotels provide a decent means to a legitimate gratification in tho way of alcoholic liquors, and most soldiers, being decent fellows, lake llio opportunity of buying themselves (lriuics in town. But suppose the hotels aro closed earlier during tho war, we will ho told drunkenness will cease among soldiers. But drunkenness does hoc exist now. It is quite a libel 7pou our soldiers to say that they are given to intemperance. It is degrading shu men who have offered themselves as ;; sacrific for the maintenance of Empire to impute to them intemperate habits. Assertion that there is drunkenness among our soldiers is utterly untrue. 'Hie Minister of Defence just ten days ago told the prohibitionists that their allegations against the temperance of '■he soldier .vere without foundation in fact. Of '15,000 men rccruitc-d and trained for tho front in New Zealand, the Hon. Jas. Allen said, "only_ three have been dismissed for drinlcing." That is a record of which wo ought all to be proud, and it is a record that lias been attained without undue- restrictions upon the soldiery or any interference with existing hours. There is mow virtually no drunkenness among soldiers; but if hotels aro closed when the soldiers come to town, the temptation of certain places that have been proved '>v recent mirations to exist in Wellington will bo redoubled, and far worse evils will spread. A tipsy soldier is virtue compared with tho victim of -.he vicious and unclean. Ono is visible and the other is concealed. The prohibitionists and other agitators for earlier closing are only meddling" with the question, they are not curing or even helping the weak soldier. Citizens with a knowledge of the world will have nothing to do with such a wanton and futile agitation.—l am, etc., SANITY.