MR FLATMAN'S REMARKS AT RONGOTEA.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 67, 16 September 1896, Page 2

MR FLATMAN'S REMARKS AT RONGOTEA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAB. Sir,— l read with much surprise Mr Flatman's statements, as reported in your paper, as to the effect Prohibition has had in Clutha. Has he forgotten the remarks of the Stipendiary Magistrate who, when trying certain sly-grog selling cases, declared the measure had not been productive of good ? In short, the moral effects of Prohibition had been bad as far as Clutha was concerned, and he advised that the Government before proceeding further with Prohibitive legislation (which I think he characterised as interfering with the liberties of the people) should appoint* commission to enquire into the working of the measure in that district. You would have thought that had these men believed it to have been a success they would| have gladly availed themslves of the opportunity of fairly testing their measure betore an impartial jury. Not so, they appointed a deputation, of which I think the Rev Mr Isitt was one, to wait on the Government to complain of the faithful Magistrate for doing what ruosfc people considered to be his duty, and thus practically burked enquiry. Sir, Ido not wish to characterise Mr Flatman's statement as an untruth, because I think he may be misled in the matter, bat I have no hesitation in saying that I prefer to believe the evidence of a dispassionate Magistrate who had, iv his official capacity, opportunities of testing the working of the scheme, to Messrs Flatman, Isitt or any Prohibition ■ ist whose zeal, I regret to say, too frequently outstrips their veracity. Why did they not second the recommendation and request an investigation by an unprejudiced tribunal ? We know jnst enough of these men to say that had they any chance of proving anything favorable to Prohibition they would not have left a stone unturned to have accomplished that object. Mr Flatman is further reported to have said that Prohibition does not interfere with the liberty of the subject, because it allows any man to manufacture his own intoxicants. Sir, this is backing down with a vengeance. What, is it possible that these men who have professed each & horror of the use of alcohol in any shape are now going to give a universal license to brew or distill the poison in large or small quantities provided that be or she does not become a vendor of the same ? Sir, my friends are going from bad to worse. Unlimited individual license to brew, distill, and drink intoxicants would soon reduce New Zealand to a perfect pandemonium. Home drinking would soon become the oider of the day, and tens of thousands who would have escaped the drink curse under the present regulations would become confirmed inebriates. As a lover of my kind and of my country, I protest against this latter development of the Prohibition craze, which will ruin and induce a condition of drunkenness and immorality too fearful to contemplate. In fact, were such a license allowed, New ZeaZealand would soon be known as the drunkards' paradise. lam at a loss to give a name to the latest notion of my friends and, for want ot a better, will call it " Their latest ruse, or the Prohibition compromise." I am, etc., J. B. Roots.