Correspondence

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 139, 21 May 1892, Page 2

Correspondence

: — ¥ SUNDAY CLOSING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THIS BTAR. Sir— Your leader on the above requires a few remarks. Cardiff is a considerable seaport, and doubtless has a large seagoing population. First, is it not possible to believe that the irregular sale of drink, and the consequent evil consequences, had been going on all tbe time, until the closing of the public houses gave the police leisure to pay attention to it. You will allow that sailors, as a class, are fond of intoxicating drink, like him of yore who drank from the cask of runi containing Lord Nelson's body ; they will get it openly if possible, but prefer it on tbe sly. It is not to save such hard cases that Sunday or any other closing is primarily enforced ; but rather to check the recruiting for the army of drunkards. Can there be a doubt in the mind of any sane person which is the most dangerous for young people — the glaring attractive gin palace and hotel, or the miserable out-of-the-way place, where the illicit sale is carried on ? Second, would it not have been fairer to the subject in hand if you bad given some of the arguments used in Cardiff by those " fanatics " in favour of Sunday closing? The wisdom of doing away with the liquor traffic has taken such a deep and lastiug bold on the public of this and many other countries, that soon nothing less than foolhardiness will cause a public journal to advocate its interests in any shape or form. I am, &c, Pro Bono Publico.