PUBLIC OPINION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2708, 1 March 1916, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION

A CHANCE FOR THE LIOUOR SELLERS. [To the Editor.] Sir,—l have waited very patiently foi your facetious correspondent "Diogenes" to brine forward the arguments, with 'which no claimed to be primed, anent early closing of hotel and 1 club bars. lie

1 claimed as bis excuse for anonymity the unnamed state of the committee moving in the matter, and hurled some gentle recriminations at the levity of some person or persons, like himself, unknown. I fancy it is a rule of good papers that they only publish letters w'l.en tho name and address of the sender is enclosed, bo his stilted justification of himself loses point somewhat-. Now that the 'committee has announced itself, and ill tho clearest possiblo way made known its desires, what have ''Diogenes" and his friends to say? Will they not at once admit that the object of this movement is a most reasonable oue? That the sacrifice asked of the community in general is a very small one? And that it' would bo an excellent move on the part of the hotelkeepers and others concerned to give up tiie few hours asked for, themselves? Sir, there is something that appeals very strongly to > the casual reader (speaking as one) in the simple ilireotness of statement from this "War Necessities Committee,", and the sanity of its proposals should' appeal to everyone. So may I urge "Diogenes" to come . forth into the daylight, and also not to associate persons unknown in his erratic little fashion. "Something tangible' 'has now been put forward by the promoters, so will "Diogenes" deal with \t? May I remind him of the answer given by the famous philosopher of the came name when asked what business he best understood? Although he-was at the time a slave, the stoie answered "How to command men!" This was about the fifth century, 8.C., so we may perhaps expect some product of all the centuries which have elapsed to appear ' in the philosophy of your correspondent. I am, etc., DARK HORSE. THE TRADE AND THE SOLDIERS. Sir, —When one reads the feverish energy of the liquor people to justify the existence of tiie ('trade," it is apt to lead us to think that their interests are on tho verge of being very severely damaged. But is it so? 1 am afraid not. The Liquor party has got this country quite under its thumb, and it laughs when it is suggested that will be carricd sonic day." Lately some enlightening (?) letters Jiave been printed in your paper (and others as well), setting forth the glorious superiority of the drinker over the fanatical Prohibitionist! It is intended to convey that we twentieth century, enlightened, civilised liuinans must, if we want to win this war, allow our soldiers as much of tho chemically-concoetc-d rubbish (and harmful at that) as they want! The trouble of the "trade" is Profit! Profit! Profit! Ergo, it is necessary to get men to drink, to swell these profits. Ye people of New Zealand, you are spineless and inept; you haven't .backbone enough to stand up and say that our .soldiers shall nt least leave this country, their home, clean in mind and! body, and_ not handicapped by over-indulgence in alcoholic beverages, I am not a teetotaller or a fanatic, but I recognise that stuff sold US "pure liquor" is doing us people grave injury. If State control is any good, let's have it. The, "Boozer" crowd will raise all sorts of trouble of course, because, in tho first place, wo shall hit tho "tied house" hard. ■ If we need "booze" to win this war, well, let's get licked. It isn't worth it, because if we are a nation gradually degenerating throng) uso of ths stuff wo have to buy, it's time wo were licked. Early closing? That's no good. If the soldiers want liquor they can get it any time. Someone is always ready to oblige. The law! Pooh! The law doesn't trouble it-self. The liquor crowd make laws to suit themselves. I have a healthy respect for a good glass of home-brewed beer, that is. beer, not poisonous stuff that is often sold as beer, and if I want, it I'll make it. No pub. will get my money for rubbish. Anyway, it's' no use talking about getting fair treatment from some of these liquor people. They are biassed, and mercenary. I lcriow it. I have studied l this question from every quarter, and have known publicans, and years ago I was employed in hotels. Even then I was disgjstcd with their j methods. I have had to work in the I "cellar," and know all the tricks of the trade. I also know that breweries have no use for the old-timo brewers now. They employ first-cla& chemists, and any sort of brewer will do. As to spirits, well, the least said of their manufacture the better. Yet. fools will drink these decoctions and pay many hundreds per cent, more than it's north'. Personally, I don't care a straw for all the brewers and publicans in creation, but when I read of their attempts to capture the brains of onr soldiers, I get mad! Let mo ask the hotelkeepers of Wellington this: How much bunting do they display on the days the troops leave? I looked round on each occasion and couldn't see six inches of colour over any hotel! I guess I shall have to stop. I am taking up too much space. Thanking yon in anticipation of the favour of seeing this in your valuable paper. —T am. etc., EQUUS.