WOMEN'S, INVESTIGATION LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 3

WOMEN'S, INVESTIGATION LEAGUE

LECTURES AT VICTORIA COLLEGE. Two lectures were delivered last evening in tho Victoria College Gymnasium under the auspices of tlii Women's Social Investigation league. Mr. Douglas Seymour dealt with "Carnivals and War Funds," and Mr. A. It. Atkinson spoke ion "War Regulations for the Drink Traffic." Miss M. L. Nicholls piesided, and there was a fair attendance of members. Mr. Douglas Seymour, a returned soldier, who dealt with the subject of "Car"liivals and War Funds," said the first thing that struck a man on returning from the front was how little the people of New Zealand realised that a war was on. There was, of course, the remoteness of the whole turmoil from Now Zealand which made it difficult for the people to realise what was going on at the front. There was evidence, however, that the people as \ whole desired -to do the straight tiling. There was no . doubt about that. There was a certain amount of opposition, though, to the whole business, of the war, and consequently against the 6oldier, w;hom these people regarded as a fool for making the eacrilice. "These people are much 'more common than is generally . supposed," observed the lecturer. There was a great deal of perplexity as to what should bo done for the soldier. Some were willing to make sacrifices provided their neighbours did so also. -."This thing was primarily a matter for the Government," said Mr. Seymour. The Government to some extent realised its responsibility, but the Government was also perplexed. In Great Britain a great deal more had been done than appeared to have been accomplished in New Zealand. It was difficult to believe that there was no man in the Government capable of dealing with the whole matter thoroughly. It was the duty of the Government to provide for the soldiers and their dependants, and not : relegate it to private benevolence. The Government was prepared to admit any amount of responsibility, with respect to tlie soldier, but it had not taken any steps to shorn that" it fully realised that responsibility. The providing of pensions, etc., ■ was a responsibility that should be placet}, on the national wealth. Pensions should be the primary charge on the revenue of ihe country, and should not be obtained through the benevolence of the people. It must be remembered that public benevolence was volatile, and though public interest would be intense while the war lasted it would quickly evaporate when the war ended. One Minister had said that the Government would do the fair thing by the soldier, and tliat statement was no doubt honestly meant, but unless steps were taken now to do the right thing there would be failure to do so after the war. 11l the collection of patriotic and other funds the people had been taught to'expect a quid pro quo, iustead of being taught to give their money through official channels. The people had been taught to believe that in giving they were giving charity, and it would be difficult to eliminate that belief from the public mind. The patriotic societies themselves recognised that the collection of funds should not be casual or in the way of charity, but that it should be the. work of the whole people and contributed through the Government. The funds for patriotic purposes—for pensions to soldiers nlid their dependants—should be a primary charge on tho revenue of the country, and should be raised by taxation. The Government should insist that the whole country make good to the soldiers and their dependants, as far as they could make good, the sacrifices made by them, and should tax the people for this purpose.

The Drink Traffic and the War. Mr. A. R. Atkinson gave a characteristic lecture cm "War Regulations i'or tlie Drink Traffic." He said that it was beyond question that Europe and civilisation owed their salvation inHlie present war to the teetotallers. We marveiled at the miracle of the Jlarne,, which, turned tho German armies back almost from the gates of Paris, but it was a much greater miracle that had made this miracle possible—the miracle of the mighty Russian nation prohibiting strong drink, mobilizing with a rapidity that would have been othenviso impossible, and entirely upsetting the German calculations by her invasion, of East Prussia. Had the rest, of the Allies followed Russia's lead, tho war would probably have been decided in the Allies' favour before now. The. client of prohibition ill Russia had been' to increase the bank deposits from J.'5,000,000 in the last year of vodka to J;177,000,0(10 in the first year of prohibition. The elt'ect of license in Britain had been that, while her financial operations liad beaten every record, the liquor expenditure had also beaten, the records. While the country had been spending about =£5,000,000 a day on the war, it had also spent lupre than .£500.000,000 on iiciuor. Mr. Atkinson referred to what liad been done in New Zealand. After some close thinking, the Government had passed the anti-shouting law, and now in response to the people's demand for six o'clock closing the Government was not quite certain whether it would agree to closing hotel bars at 8 p.m. Votes of thanks \icre accorded both speakers.