Real Temperance Reform.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 324, 27 January 1902, Page 3

Real Temperance Reform.

(Scotsman.) At a time like the present, when a good deal of attention is being given to the discussion of the temperance question, as brought to the forefront by the rival reports of the Licensing Commission, and when leading politicians like Mr Asquith are advocating the principle that the State should claim for itself some share of the enhanced value which the granting of a

license confers upon the property in which the business is carried on, special attention attaches to an unobtrusive public ceremony which took place recently in the little mining village of Stanburn, in East Stirlingshire. The ceremony in question was .lone other than the formal opening of a handsome public hall and suite of recreation rooms which have just been erected out of the profits of a Gothenburg public house which was started in the village about two years ago. The scheme, like others of a similar character, which have been tried elsewhere, has had an interesting genesis and history. For years the predominant employers of labor of the neighborhood, Messrs James Nimmo and Co (Limited), had steadfastly opposed the planting of a public-house in the midst of their workmen ; but as the population of the village increased, as applications in the ordinary course for a public-house license came to he uia.de with growing energy, and as all the while the abuse of hawking drink in carts on the highways grew more and more acute, the licensing body found it more and more difficult to resist these applications. Still, the firm maintained their attitude of opposition in the face, it is said, of all sorts of inducements held out to them to give their consent—inducements that took the form of promised subscriptions to workmen’s clubs and the like. At this juncture some of the local Justices interested in the welfare of the locality and impressed with the undesirableness of importing a public-house from the outside, so to speak, approached the Messrs Nimmo, and pleaded with them to themselves apply for the license, and thereby retain control of the concern. After a while the firm gave ear to these representations, and resolved to go in for the license. In the erection and equipment of the public-house premises about £6OO was expended, a local committee of man aeement, consisting of representatives of the firm, resident Justices, ministers, and representative workmen elected by their fellows, was appointed, and the public-house opened its doors. The first year’s profits of the concern amounted to no less than £ll7O that is to say the capital expended was returned twofold. Out of these profits it was decided to provide an ambulance waggon and a shed in which to house -it, in connection with the colliery ; whilst at the same time the committee engaged a district nurse, who during these two years has been a ministering angel amongst the fanu lies of the miners, and has been an immense support to the colliery doctor. So much for the firstl, iears working. Anticipating that the profits were likely to continue at pretty much the same figure, a still more pretentious enterprise was inaugurated, and it was resolved to erect a public hall and recreation rooms in the immediate vicinity as a counter attrac-tion-paradoxical though that may seem —to the public house that provided the wherewithal. It was this hall which was publicly inaugurated and handed over, aeul uee, to on Monday afternoon. The building, which with its interior furnishing, has cost about £2OOO, occupies a comincluding site in the village, and has been constructed of brick after a design by Mr Scotland, architect, Airdrie On the lower floor is a handsome hall, capable of accommodating quite 500 people ; while upstairs are a large reading room and a recreation room in which are two billiard tables and a bagatelle table. The interior decoration is simple, but tasteful, and the electric light has been introduced throughout the building, the generating power being derived from the colliery. No intoxicating liquors are to he sold on the premises. , At the opening ceremony Mr Robert Clarkson, J.P., on taking the chair, remarked that he supposed most of them had ceased to believe in making men sober by Act of Parliament. 1 hey lived in a free country, and if a man wanted to drink he would get it somehow. (Hear, hear.) It seemed to him that the great thing to aim at was to try and get up a public opinion against drunkenness amongst the working classes, so that it might be considered a disgrace for a working man to be seen the worse for liquor. (Applause.) Every experiment, therefore, which might' be tried in the meantime to lessen the evil and to lead men into better wavs was worthy of their sympathy and support, and that was just the reason why they invited the company to come there that day and see for themselves what they had been doing. He was convinced that the true lines along which, to work in dealing wltb the drink problem lay m

the direction of better housing of the working classes, in brightening their environment, and in surrounding them with wholesome influences. (Hear, hear.)