A SOCIAL QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2963, 29 December 1916, Page 6

A SOCIAL QUESTION

Sir,—The application of the Clyde Shipbuilders' Federation for prohibition of liquor in Great Britain has apparently been replied-to by a new Or-der-in-Council empowering naval and military authorities and the Minister of Munitions to close and further restrict the hours of licensed premises in any area if prejudicial to . the output of munitions. There may be further restrictions, but there will be no prohibition. . ... The Shipbuilders' Federation, in talking about the shortage of output of merchant tonnage, did not say that tho men and women available were cmploved in naval yards on national work ; and their statements were by Lloyd's Annual Report on Shipping, 191 G. which says tlie output, although . previously far below normal times, is iiow larger than has ever been recorded in the history of Lloyd's, namely, 620 vessels of 2,282,709 tons. Yet two months later the Shipbuilders' Federation was complaining about the meagre - output, and blaming the social liabits of the workers—both men and women.

Two or three days after tin's £t '~ plaint came tlie intelligence -that 'Boston refused prohibition liv a two to ono majority. And no.w comes the news that the proposition lias heen defeated in South 'Africa hv a five to two'■majority. The "Cape Times" gives-the fimires of Johannesburg as under:— Fov prohibition. 9424; against prohibition, 23,948; m.iiority. against proluhition, 11 i 524. The referendum was taken oil the suggestion of tlio Minister of Justicc, who, in reply to a prohibition deputation for "proliihitionfor the war and six months aftpr," pointed out that the Liquor Ordnance'coiltaiiied a provision under which local vetoists could take a vote with a view to testing whether the people as a body were call'ng for any interference with existing liquor laws. The result was . a fivo to two majority against prohibition. AVhen a nation is fighting for libertv against a tyrannous and " unscrupulous foe there ought to-be lip internal disruptions or one class fightine against another class. Let us have pen.ee among ourselves. That will-en-able us to hem]" all our minds, wills, and purses to win the war. _ Afterthafc we may renew our internecine political warfare:—l aniy otc.,