THE EFFECTS OF PROHIBITION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2990, 30 January 1917, Page 6

THE EFFECTS OF PROHIBITION

Sir, —Instead of representing those of a student, I fear your correspondent's initials, "0.5.," may stand for "Old Soldier," otherwise lip would deal straightforwardly with the authority from which ho quotes. I complained of the unfair use he made of the alliance figures, and in his last letter "0.5." neither explains nor justifies his conduct, but, flying in face of official returns, he indulges in a wild, useless rigmarole ' about what sane people can believe, and how many dinners sane persons will eat, etc. The question I must press is: Why did "0.5." make use of a set of alliance figures to maiutain a position they could not and do not bear upon, at the same time quietly ignoring another set of figures from the' same authority which dealt specifically with the point ho was trying to prove? The first duty now for "0.5." is to justify such conduct. As the other matters in his letter can he easily and completely answered, I will for the present await a reply from "0.5." I see our old friend "Moderate," tho Trade's valiant champion, has come to light again in your columns. This time ho writes from Auckland.. His heart is filled to overflowing at the fact that Boston, U.S.A., has retained tho liquor traffic. Well, if "Moderate's" jubilation over Boston's action is justified, what may not the ProhibiI tion Party say or do over the news to hand that fivo States, containing scores of cities, have turned the liquor traffic down and lulod'up for Prohibition? These States contain over 5,000,000 inhabitants, as against Boston's 670,685. But "Moderate" claims for Boston a very high degree of culture and education. In conceding this it should be home in mind that the great seat of learning that has helped to give Boston its world-wide reputation is Harvard University. This university situated in Cambridge, part _of Boston*. Cambridge, which contains over 100,000 inhabitants, and which has a separate vote on the liquor issue, has carried Prohibition for over thirty years. AVhat [has "Moderate" to say to this? Cambridge, rich with the memories of Washington, Longfellow, and the abiding influence of its great _ university,clings tenaciously to Prohibition. Then "Moderate" is very optimistic when ho claims that Boston has "fewer paupers, fewer insane, and fewer criminals," although "it has more than double the hotels of any of the chief centres of Nen r Zealand." I would not bo surprised to find that Boston, with its 670,585 inhabitants, has more licensed houses than the whole of New Zealand, with its population of 1,000,000. It is on record that the annual number of arrests in Boston for drunkenness is 60,000, as against New i Zealand's 13,1901—1 am, etc.,; VALIMA.