ADDRESS BY MRS KINETON PARKES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 31, 31 October 1918, Page 2

ADDRESS BY MRS KINETON PARKES

ENGLAND'S ENEMY, NEW ZEA- *'' LAND'S OPPORTUNITY. Yesterday afternoon a meeting railed by the Mayoress (Mrs. J. P. Luke) van held in the Concert Chamber of the Town. Hall, at which Mrs. Kmeton Pnrkcs spoke upon the recommendations of tlie Efficiency Board and upon Prohibition generally. This board, she said, composed of business men of the highest sfandiiiff, had etncliod the question from everv point of view, had travelled all over' New Zealand, lied taken statistics, and had gone into the patter without prejudice. The conclusion they -hadcoiuo to was that New Zealand in pie best interests of efficiency, should adopt not Stnto conirol nor State purchase, but an absolute clearance of liquor. Their recommendations had caused her to think that the enemy at Home had greater power than • here, for the reason that they had not got the same chance to get rid of it as had the people of New Zealand. In the course of her address which was practically the same as that' given at an evening held at the Pioneer Club recently, Mrs. Parkea referred to the letter of a. correspondent signing himself "G.L.M.," which had appeared in Thk Dominion within the last two or three days. Mrs. Parkes said that sho would have had much preferred that he had given his full name when criticising her remarks. Touching upon his statement "that since Mr. Lloyd Georgo had said that liquor was a worso enemy to England that were the Germans ho had changed his mind, and now supported State control," Mrs. Parkes said that she had not heard of the change of opinion, nor had she seen it reported in the papers. She asked her audience if anyone of them had seon the statement. In. any ease, she was content to relv upon tho common sense of Mr. Lloyd George, who if he had come to the conclusion that drink was a worse enomy' to tho nniion than the Germane, would hardly wish ,to soil it over the counters (o the people. " Another, statement to which G.L.M." had taken exception wad that the Kins , had banished lirjuor from tho tablo and from the Royal Household. This had , been cabled all over , tho world, and until ehe saw the official denial of the statement she was quite content to take that state bf things as still holding good. In regard to the .£BOOO which had been realised for the Red Cross through a sale of wine from tho King's cellars at Buckingham Palace, Mrs. Parkes siated that great sales had been held for tho 'Red Cross, at ffhidi everyouo had been invited to send ah tho things they did not want or had no use for, Since tho Kiiiß'had given thevino to be sold at one, of thfflo sales it showed that ho did not want it, and so gavo it away. In regard -to the criticism levelled at her. statement that no restriction was placed upon the quantity of wheat used by tho brsweries for the manufacture ol liquor, Mrs. Parkes held to her statement that at the time when the people were being in their consumption of wlieaten foods there were no restrictions placed upon the breweries in regard to their consumption of wheat. "G.L.M." had also said that sho ought to have told the meeting that "sinco tho prohibition of beer was made to the German Army in July last they have never since won a battle." In any case, Mrs. Parkes questioned his assertion, but sho and all the world know this, tlinj when the German soldiers got into the towns, houses, and chateaux of Franco and Belgium, and broke into the wine cellars, 51 it was then thai their horrible atrocities were committed, and women and girls suffered so terribly at their hands. She felt exceedingly grateful to "G.L.M.";for bringing up that point. ' ' . Mrs. .Parkes also said that when speaking of tho large percentage of meii turned down for military service, as being unfit, she spoke of ihoso only, and made no allusion to the soldiers of whom New Zealand had every reason to be proud. At the close of,her lecture Mrs. Kineton Parkes was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks.