LIQUOR REFERENDUM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 157, 28 March 1919, Page 3

LIQUOR REFERENDUM

ttEPLY TO MR. W, D. LYSNAR MR. JAMES BODDIE'S VIEWS APPEAL TO FARMERS. In last Saturday's issuo of The 'Dominion I notice a letter from the pen of Mr. Lysnar. Now, as .Mr. Lysnar is a farmer, and known among farmers, I feel it would be unfai* to electors to let. his statements go unchallenged. , l:'i;i-# ( , Mr. Lysnar claims "he hats given the prohibition question close study"; so have I. For 45 years I have watched every phase of' the lirjuor question and have read or listened to every conceivable argument both for and against. As a result of these years of studv and investigation, conducted in a tolerant and open-minded manner, I have arrived at the conclusion that in the interests of all sections of the community the report of the National Efficiency Board should certainly be carried into effect.'.. . ' ' ' "

1. Mr. Lysnar acknowledges "that, .the evils of drink are bad," but goes on to 6av. that no-licenso is "an ungodly and immoral reform, for its begets worse evils than, drunkenness." Why take Mr. Lye. liar's opinion or mine? Surely- every elector is capable of arriving at his own conclusions when he has the facts, fairly presented—here they are. •

Even omitting drunkenness altogether, the total arrests 'ill''New Zealand last year were 16,490, which equnls'42-iii everj 1000 of our population, while the arrests in no-license districts ware, but H2S6. which equals only 19 in every 1000 of their population. So that our own-ex-perience within New' Zealand is right in line with that '.of Canada, that prohibition reduces crime to less than half. If to save over 21,000 Nbw Ztaland homes every vear'froin the disgrace of an arrest is. as Mr. Lysnar savs, ail "mi godly' reform," then Mr. Lysimr's Ood must be quite a different being from the One usually' believed in. Slur on Moderate Drinkers. , 2. Mr. Lvsnar suggests here, that •i" prohibition "is carried tho drinking minority will defy the law. Surely he is over-stepping the mark, here, in casting such a slur on our moderate drinkers, thousands of whom have decided to vote for the Efficiency Board's proposal.. It must be the moderate drinker lie refers to.as'he has already counted the drunkards out in his first paragraph hv calling them "degenerates and unprincipled brutes."

Next Mr. Lysnar makes Hie remarkable statement that "a law that is disolwyed is worse than no law." Aecordine to our police records (he law against theft is broken every day. 264S breaches ; being the yearly total, while the lav against drunkenness is brokeu more'often, with its 10,795 annual recurrence?, than any other law. After rallinp the drunkard ail "unprincipled brute," Mr. Lysnar says that because the law against drunkenness "is disobeyed" it is "worse than no law," and, as the same .argument can be nppli«l to all our laws in a/lesser degree, his suggestion is that to do away with' a law all that is necessary is for a section of the people to "disobey it." Carry his argument to its.logical conclusion, and we replace- democratic government with social anarchy. .

3. In reply to the claim made in this paragraph, let me.nssure Mr. Lysnar, that New Zealand is quitev capable of seeing that those who disregard its, laws will be punished in the future, as in the past.

4. Thj.< paragraph is a direct insult'to the intelligence of our Women and to the character of their drinking relations. Mr. Lysnar can accent my. assurance .that thousands of heavy drinkers will, glory in the opportunity afforded them on April 10 of removingitheir.greatest. teiu,ptation, the open bar,-, and.,their,'womenfolk. 'wlib have their best interests, at heart far more than. Mr. Lysiiar. will line up with them to. .lend a baud, in wiping drink out for ever. :

£5,000,000 Is Too Much

5. The war did not create,the efficiencydestroying effects' of drink, it but revealed them. True, the w.-.r is over, but what it disclosed about the drink trade still remains as true «s ever, and surely. Mr. Lysnar knows that tho great commercial warfare of the future demands that we have not only clear heads and steady hands, but that, the waste of 45,000,000 per annum on drink in a little country liko ours, already overburdened with debt, should, in the interests of all,'cease immediately. v

■ Mr. Lysnar raises the old worn-outcry that "there is more liquor consumed, under no-licenso than under license." As we are now consuming liquor at the rate of over eleven million gallons per annum, will Mr, Lysnar state frankly how much he considers the figures will go up after the moderate drinkers, and abstainers have voted it out on April 10, and by a majority made it law that it shall not 1m manufactured or sold in our Dominion as a beverage.

" Mr, Lysnar then proceeds to deal with the results of prohibition in Canada and United States,, md glibly brushes aside the testimony of one hundred million people with the statement: "Proliition -in certain localities in the States and Canada, the wine as in New Zealand, has been tried'with unquestionably bad results, if impartial testimony is obtained,"' I submit that tho' Government statistics of the great "Canadian Province of Alberta, constitute testimony as impartial as any impartial man could ask for:--

General ' average of One •convictions year De- ' for four under crease years before prohibi- per prohibition, tion. cent. Edmonton (capital ' citr of Province): All offences. : 1884 " "7S . ': Drunks ..v 1,879 ■ 57 9(i Vagrants ... 323 29 ' . 91 Whole Province of Alberta: All offences 12,706 . 5152 59. Drunks . ... 3,62(1 , . ; 393 : S9 ; Vagrants ... 1,204. 164 . i! 0 . The-evidence of America cannot so easily be. disposed of .is .Air. Lysnar suggests. A recent article in the Sydney "Morning Herald" outlines' the position in the following sane, logical manner:--. ."That the greatest democracy in the world should prohibit within its borders i i.fi n=n of 'Mi artie'e of diet which, .is almost as old as. tne I't-maii .face itself certainly challenges attention, 'and, instead of repeating threadbare' phrases about 'extremists/ 'fanatics,' and 'interference with personal liberty,' it would be more profitable to discover the motives which lie behind the present action of the United States." A Great Exampla. A democracy comprising abont onefifteenth (lie rifire population'of. the globe putting itself under voluntary prohibition is surely an amazing spectacle. A nation where all men arc equal and free, where rail-splitters and barge-boys have risen to supreme authority—such il nation is not likely to cherish erroneous views about "personal liberty." It may be that we'in New Zealand will have to revise our definition, it mav be that our ideas of "personal libertv" (on this subject at least) are out Of date. American democracy 'believes in the utmost, freedom of individual action, provided it is consistent with the welfare of the whole nation, but when., in the opinion of the n iiiorily, either a personal habit or an individual trade ii! inimical to the. well-being of. the neonle ftt large, the personal trade must give way before the good of the whole coi»munity. America believes that. Euclid's axiom, "The whole is greater than the part," is applicable to national questions. A Sign of the Times. In 1914 there were, only nine nrohibition Slates, to-day there .ire at least. 29 where prohibition is rctunlly in operation. The last was Florida, which went "dry" on the first day of the present month. These States are a« follow, and

the dates, when prohibition became effective are also given:— Maine .....' 1851 Kansas ..... '. 18S0 North Dakota : 1689 Oklahoma 1907 Georgia ....... 1908 North Carolina 1909 Mississippi 1909 Tennessee ; 1909 AVesfc Virginia .1914 Alabama 1915 1 Arizona 1915 Virginia 1916 Colorada 1918 Oregon 1916 Washington 1916 Arkansas ~ 1918 lowa 191(5 Idaho 191G South Carolina 1916 Nebraska 1917 South D|tkota ...'. 1917 Utah 1917 Indiana .-. 1918 Michigan 1918 Now Hampshire 1918 Montana ' 1918 Now Mexico 1918 Texas '. lDlfs , Florida • 1919 _In addition, Ohio koos drv on May 27 next and 'Wvtnning on Now Year's Day, 1920.. It is very' significant-. that Ohio has carried State-wide prohibition. Almost all the States containing the great cities have hung out to the last. But the "drvs" are now capturing the "big city" States. Michigan (with' Detroit), containing a population of over a million.'want dry on May 1 Inst: to be followed next May' by Ohio, with the huge city of Cincinnati; Time after t,im° the Cincinnati wet voto outweighed tho dry vote of the remainder of the State, but the change in oniiiion has come, and is shown by the following figures for that town:— majority for continuance ... fU.159 1315, . „ ■ , „... . „ ... 55.408 1917. s „ , ;. ... ... ■. 1.133 191 S. majority for prohibition ... 24.719

We may renj-onnbl.v ask the question why so many thoimarid electors have changed sides within four years'. There wems only oiie .possible answer, ~-thaf. hiving watched prohibition close at hand in actual operation, they are convinced of its success.' If prohibition ?s a failure why have the nine dry States of 1914 irrown to sueh nnmbers in 1919? Sensible men do not copy failures, but tbev do imitate successes. If our nextdoor neighbour makes soroo improvement in his property for comfort and health, and later we adnot it ourselves, it is evidence, that we think it a success.. This is precisely' what <is happening io America. Stat" has copied neighbouring Shle. until now S9 p?r cent, of tho territory and 61 *i»r, cent, of the people are under prohibition. The Papers Speak Out. The testimony to its benefits by newspADers and public' men would " fill a volume,' but a verv' few are taken from a recent Detroit. (M : chigan) paper. This State went dry in May last: • "Five months of prohibition finds many Michigan gaols without prisoners. Some lwe not had an inmate for weeks. Police officers give all tile credit to prohibition. and a definite campaign is under way.to close many gaols.' "The jury liavo been excused for the third successive term, in Wexford County as there are no criminal cases. This never happened while open bars were ru"i'ing in Michigan.

"The adoption of prohibition is the greatest accomplishment that Michigan ha? to her credit." said Sheriff. Berry, in Sirs address at the' Traverse City Convention.. "Evidences of Hie $reat social unlift. tlint have resulted since J[«v 1 ari>"apparent everywhere." ■"

Mayor- Bruce, of. O'arlctgwii. West r-i'rirli.ia, writing (o the T.os Angeles "Tribune" says:-r"The cilv has forged ehea<r and has, built in-ill* last two' years 4^-miles of streets kept pace with all improvements. . We Jpive reduced- the tax-lew 2{ cents., and, have nraple cash w hand for - all obli'ntions. Peal estate if. niuch :nlore. valuable, and'(lie closing of. : .«<i.loins. has-, : iiicre-ised merchandise ni"': foH consumption." . Mr. Lysnar complains that it is very I'ard tn get milliard 'oninions. Perlnps he wi'l accent the folWing - .taken from., the "r.itcnry New York, of January 2.V. I!)'!),-' which naper endeavour* to interpret -in. rorc ; se • form the public opinion of th'6-whole'people:— The People's Judgment. "The I'itfah'urg 'Gazette-Times' states that -it is 'the deliberate judgment,', of the people of ' the United 'States 'that the' li([uov fra'lfic should, be abolished.' No pthci- public riuestion, with the. one exception of slavery, this journal tells those, who. protest at tho'suddenness of the consummation' of prohibition, 'ever has been so. long and so widely discussed 4as has " this one.'• The conviction in favour • of • prohibition has, we are told, folio,wed the most, careful consideration and a large measure of experimentatio'i. the 'results of which have been wholly satisfactory. The people ! insists, .this Pittsburg daily, 'will not change, their minds ,on this issue, They have Weighed ev?rv argument for liquor and rejected, all." " ' "The 'Toledo Blade' would inform the distilling intrre-sk that they , .are not fighting merely 'miritaw. and cranks, and laws., but a nhenomcnon a.s resistless, as remorseless, as the rise of Hdes in the 'John Barl-ycorn's death,"' declare* the 'Minneapolis Tribune.'. was decreed 'for the wrings lie has committed against society/ The '"Raleigh News ..and Observer.'- ili a prohibition State, declares that prohibition ~is a 'purely economic' .proposition. 'Whisky does .not pay. .Tt has no virtues. It has ma.nv vices, and it entails a ..terrible cost.' The sophistries that, have hedged it aronml for generations have been torn nwav, and om any merits that it. tries to '-'aim it is defeated at-every turn. Whisky is going down Iv-ca« c e' it. has no useful fuile.tion i" society, but.is a bvden of the most difficult sort-to carry.'" ,

The "Now "Yoi'k Sun" Says:— The "New York Sun" emphatically agrees that "the evil effect of the r.ornor ginmill .on the peace and prosperity of the American home has been the cause of the sweep of sentiment against.liquor": From fillip to time there have come from, new prohibition' States declarations that prohibition was a good business proposition. In Alaska., prohibition, according to Secretary. Lane's recent report, "has been productive of highly .beneficial effects." and the "Governor doubts that even those formerly onnosed to prohibition iroiiM now be willing to return to the eld regime." '(!. In this parapranli Mr. Lysnar snvs, "those, whom- prohibition is erroneously intended to benefit renresent but a mere handful of the population," nere, a= elsewhere.-. JOvLysnar has not attempted to,support "his opinion" with a single fact or.fii»nre: he hn.s simply mad'-: assertions. For the. Inst five years the convictions for.drunkenness in our Dominion have averaged 10,795. On the basis flint not. more 'than one member of a family was. convicted of drunkenness in any one rear, and'taking th» average of five to a family, this means that"53,575 "of the people, out of. i.'small' population like ours, every vear hav> > the sorrow and disgrace of having a member of their household convicted of 'drunkenness, Summing Up the-Cause. I urge eyiry elector, in self-interest, to take a stand with the Efficiency League on April 10. Because, there are 450,000 boys and girls •and young men and women under the ''aire of '21 in-this country who will be nfi'ee.ted by your vote. .' j 'Because, those controlling the liquor trade have had centuries to demonstrate how the sale of liquor can bp conducted without the evils which are so obviously attendant upon it, and have failed, whilst every conceivable effort which has been made to regulate-and control the tr'iflic has prdved' equally unsatisfactory. ' Because. New . Zealand must he ready to domnete u.i an equal footing with the great prohibition countries of the United Sfntes and Canada. Because, in order to lighten the load of debt and taxation that farmers and business men are faced with, the waste and inefficiency caused by. drink must be cut out. clearing the way, for increased production, reduced taxation, reduced cost of livin". and better social conditions. And. inst as'T hiivc for many years endeavoured to serve my fellow farmers by nointing the' way to many needed reforms, and helping to form-an enlightened nublic oni.ninn on the principal questions of tbi.dav, so I now iinhe=ilntinglv urge you to get info line with this greaT rcfonii. Be on the winning side, on April 1(1 next, so that in the days to come, when the wisdom of banishing (he liouor traffic Will have come lo be recognised as beyond question', you will be able to claim that you did your part

in making this fair land a better anil safer place for. you and yours to livo iu, and for tlio men, women, and' children of the future. . ■ . • (Sgtl.) .TAMES lIODDIE, . President, New Zealand Farmers' Union, Auckland Province. ; (Published by Arrangement.)