THE LIQUOR BILL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 62, 7 December 1918, Page 7

THE LIQUOR BILL

Sir,—We- havo ■been buffeted by (be exactions of war and blighted by Hie viruleaco of tlie epidemic, and there are other evils in sight that will wring from us the sweets of life we feel wo arc' entitled •to enjoy, yet _ no perceptible change for the bettor is to be seen lii the conduct of our national atfairs; indeed,, the evidence is all the other way. When the lashings of the indomitable consequences of our past acfions are upon U3, and we become conscious of the reason of their falling, there is hope that wo may take stops to remove tho cause of our sufferings, and should those entrusted with the disposing' of vital matters have sufficient insight to gauge the nature and/extent of ouv disorder, wo may then reasonably hoiie for a speedy release from the grip of national affliction. Judging by the doings of Parliament, however—which is. or ought, to be, a reflection of ourselves—there is no .question that the day of our deliverance is far distant, if not travelling away from us altogether. One might have, dared to hope that after the world-wide sacrifice and misery Hint has been caused by Germany's traitorous action in respect to her nlighted word to oilier nations, that a Parliament of Britishers would honour the obligations they had 'entered into with their own people; but what do we find? ■ A year ago the National Government enacted tho 6 o'clock closing «f hotels as_a war measure, to. lapse automatically sijc months after .peace was declared. This embargo—necessary or unnecessary—was suflored without complaint and )in good faith by those affected, who trusted the Government would be honest enough to abide by their undertaking; "vet by some mysterious process of parliamentary pro-, cednre this temporary' restriction is now being; transformed into a ipeitnanenl condition. Ilruc, Mr. JTassey feebly protested against the injustice, but does his responsibility end there? He is about to leave us to protect our interests with other nations, but having failed in liis obvious duty to reject rliis dishonest, addition to the Government's Liquor Bill we could not, trust him to protect, our.larger "interests if wo tried. Politicians "may" think it a light matter to break their word, or traffic, in, or destroy other people's property ad lib for their own ends, but those things bring their sure reward, and overy member that participates in such iniquity, or sits and sees, it-going on and does not. raise "bis voice against if to the fullextent of his power,, may have to answer for'it sooner-than ho expects. What force has tho prating of public men about Hun methods and about commercial immorality when their actions belie every word they utter, and are we, as a nation, trorthy tr escape the things that are coming to pass while we tolerate such doings in our'chosen representatives?— I.am, etc;,' ' , WILLIAM BARB.