THE EFFICIENCY BOARD AND THE LIQUOR TRADE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3190, 14 September 1917, Page 6

THE EFFICIENCY BOARD AND THE LIQUOR TRADE

Sir,—lf John Plowman, Jun., had given as much study to the liquor problem'as tlio length of his letter implies, lie would not have made Ehe foolish error of awusing the No-Licence Party of dishonesty. The boot is on the other foot; the arguments and logic of the Trade champions are calculated to, squid-like, becloud the main issue—they throw out a cloud of language, "destruction of property," "Christian'virtue," "dishonesty," "injustice," "curtailing the rights," "robbery," etc. By their sophistry they hope to continue a traffic which 'should never have been countenanced by_ a Christian community, aud which is a Mot on our civilisation. To endeavour to prove by argument that the No-License Part) , is "dishoneet and unjust" is childish and absurd. Two vices stand in tho way of enTciency and economy—they are sexuality arid alcoholiem. Their evil effects are everywhere

apparent to tlie ordinary observer; degradation,, dissase, and death are m the r train. Ono of these evils has Ijccu aealt with by Cabinet in as-effective a manner as possible, out out, as all social cancert should be, and those engaged in the business have lost their liberty. According: to "J. P., Jun's.," reasoning they should, not only be at large,,but they should be. compensated for the "destruction of their business." They the effrontery- to. demand it, and apparently-they had no . Mends sufficiently well paid to do it to thorn, bo probably they will not trouble tho State about eonipenaiition. . . The liquor traffic, like tho storms ot explosives, is a dangerous business, ;ind if tho exigency of the inhabitants Remands its removal the authorities-mutt remove it, otherwise their own removal is certain. The licencee has no legitimate property" in the licence, which is. issued for control purposes, and not f or trafficking in, as some, people- "PPear to, imagine. Every man who indulge in: liquor until 10 o'clock "at night, although ho may not bo considered <lm>k capable, knows on the foUowing day that he is not efficient. He sets about hia work in a mechanical, dreamy, ™™ w »£ fnihion, and is often almost incapable ot displaying any initiative, and if a fellow-, employee, who may also be suffering, similarly, fails to cover a natch or sateguard souie macliinery or <ranger, Hie. probability is that he "falls in/ and. . there is a claim for compensation, out not against the publican. This physical disability is responsible for three-fourths of the accidents accru. ing from time to time, and it has put many a. good ship on the rocks. It is , , part of tho price we pay for the continuance of the liquor traffic. If the damage- -' caused by drink could be assessed r.ot j: all the gold in the country would cover '' it, so away with such twaddle as "the destruction o£ publicans' property."—l am, etc., ' JOHN. PLOWMAN. P.S.—The advocacy of State control is. the funniest thing in the Twentieth Century. Imagine tho State selling poisoned meat, and sending out an army of blueuniformed doctors to gather up the poi" soned patrons. Ugh!— J .P. . •