LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3105, 8 June 1917, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

"DOWN WITH EVERYTHING" Sir,—'Whatever is Wellington coming to? It seems that the baud of a ?™ s , increases every day. These straigut--laced folks say we should have no pub-lic-houses open after G o'clock; they alsowish to deny us riding in a tram on. Sunday,' and they also go so far as to quibble about the propriety of quite everyday posters on the walls. ' . Dull as Wellington is at all times, there are long-faced -«uritanical people hero who would interfere in. everybody else's affairs, and turn Wellington int» a placo of unbearable stolidity and grimness. These people made a big fuss a. good wliilfi back about the public-houses. They were ungenerous enough to accuse) our soldiers of. continual drunkenness intho streets. At that time a broadminded and travelled man, Colonel Potter, put these scaremongers to tho rightabout. He told them that if they did: not leave the reputations of Lis men. alone, he would see that the soldirs had the same manly treatment accorded them as do the Imperial troops—that is, that they should have wet canteens established in each camp, and so be able toget their glass of beer regularly, instead of only when they came to town. These "anti's" in our midst, now that they have been foiled in their precious agitation against public-houses, are sending round a petition for legislation toclose tho samo at G o'clock. Now, Sir, is everybody to be treated as a child bocanss of these "anti-every thing" people? Are all well-conducted temperate folia', to bo denied their glass of alo in tli6j evenings just to please fanatics? If their littleness were informed by travel, beyond this out-of-the-way quarter of:' the gloTio these foolish objectors would, know that life does not consist of goingabout holding up the hands in hoVror at everything that is not as dull and dismal a3 themselves. Let them see some of the lands of laughter and song— and they are not far away. It would do them' good. It is not to be thought of that wotem.perate andlife-enjoying people should pander to the views of these "aatis." If the general public, which takes advantage of all the brightness it can get. in life, was to give ill to such individuals, their next attempt to "make things better" would be to get all the picture-shows and theatres closed, and so to complete the tale of woefulness. ■ I offer them a suggestion regarding public-houses, which is a sensible one, and which will settle what they profess to bo aiming at: Let the law which prohibits men who are the worse for liquor being served bo rigidly enforced. Thaf s the crux of the matter. At tho same time I would point out to all "kill-joys'" that the people who believe in brightness and' happiness have not suggested "closing the "marble bars" and similarplaces which these "antis" frequent.—l am, etc., ABSTEMIOUS.