EARLY CLOSINC.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2729, 25 March 1916, Page 14

EARLY CLOSINC.

Sir,—At the present time tliore are two organisations at work for the above. That deputation that waited . on Mr. Massey, seems to have asked for,a rather laTgo order, not that it would not be to the advantage of the community if it-was granted, tat sometimes in asking too mtich we get_ nothing. The other - organisation) • which asks for the hotels to be closed in the Wellington Military .District at 7 p.m., and) to open a wet canteen' in camp for the soldiers, seems to me to be a Tery modest re* quest. Now, as to the j demands of tho Methodist deputation. It requests thd same restrictions as are in existence in Britain at the present time, and singles out "treating" or "shouting." This may be a very needful legislation, but if tho Government copies the ramshackle emergency drink legislation in Britain, it will be found so much wasted effort. The following appeared in a Home.imaer: —* "Treating Case Decision.—Edinburgh Publican Not Guilty.—Judgment waa ; given bv Sheriff Guy in Edinburgh Sheriff Court, in tho case in which a publican was charged with having supplied to certain persons liquor which had been ordered and paid for by other persons in contravention of the Defence of the Eealm regulations. Sheriff Guy said the present complaint had been held by the High Court of Justiciary to be both competent and relevant. He was •now called upon to decide whether the charges had been proved. Jn his opinion tho accused's transaction finished when he or his barman sold and supplied the excisable liquor for consumption on .the, premises to tho person who ordered and paid for the same. If that was/an offence—and it was not—it was then complete, and nothing that; any_ other person did after that could make it lllto, an offence on his part. If would be noticed that in the parts of the order dealing with hours, it was provided that no .person should permit any person to consume any excisable liquor, and no person should permit any person to take away excisable liquor cxcept during tho prescribed hours. But in ,the order referring to treating, no such expression was used. Holding in fact, and in law,therefore, that tho accused did not sunply the liquor as complained of, ho found him not guilty of either of the two charges." . " Surely this is not the legislation that the Methodist deputation wants. ■ Again at a meeting of the Control Jloard, held recently in Glasgow, ChiefConstable Stevenson stated that "treatinc was responsible for dninkenness, and its prohibition had not bocn enforced bv the license-holders generally. who were the only persons who could effectively enforce it. The offrwe was difficult of detection, especially when customers wero served in rooms or boxes, at the open part of the premises. Prohibition of treating was resented, and lio assistance was given to the police. .The entire pro-j

hibitdon of the salo of spirits would, ho believed, have a good effect, and next to tlio entire prohibition, the prohibition of 'oil' as ivoll as 'off' sale of spirits after 2.30 p.m., and altogether on Saturdays." No mention was made by several int. ncsses before the Control Board of taking away the liberties of the soldiers. It. tho Government can control their food and clothing, why not their drink. Personally, I believe the less they have of the latter the better for themselves aiid the country they arc serving, but it would tako too long an education to teach them that, as these reforms are not brought about in a day; therefore, of two. evils let them have the wot. canteen. Those that are teetotallers surely have enough moral courage to pass tlio wet canteen.—l am, etc., TH'OS, M. MILLIGAN.

March 14, 1916. P.S.—About the time the above was written the correspondence on the above-subject ceased. X thought it best at the time not to encroach on your, space, but by this morning's Dominion I see that the ISTo-License Party are proceeding with their campaign of anfcisliouting legislation. The above facts might warn them not to look for too good results from it.—T.M.M.