MESSRS ROWNTREE AND SHERWELL’S BOOK.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 573, 18 November 1902, Page 2

MESSRS ROWNTREE AND SHERWELL’S BOOK.

(To the Editor uf the Times.) -Sir, —Mr Crawford and his friends would faiu have us vote “ Continuance,” as a temporary measure, in order to gain time to secure an amended law whereby some other issue would he submitted to the electors. Almost all Prohibitionists, and most merely temperance advocates, are perfectly satisfied with the law as it stands. Some might prefer that a bare majority should carry the poll, but certainly would not dream of making that an excuse for not striking out the top line next Tuesday. The object of this letter, however, is merely to supply the public with a few details from Messrs Rowntree and Shorwell’s book, which Mr Crawford has omitted to record. The hook is wiitten with special reference to England, where the Temperance sentiment is far behind that of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, or Scandinavia. This being so (say Messrs Rowntree and Sherwell), it would bo foolish to ignore the

enormous strength of the Liquor party, the magnitude of its vested interests, and the degree in which these interests permeate British society, “in an attempt to enforce Prohibition in her large towns.” It would be better “in the present stage of social evolution to adapt remedial agencies to actual existing conditions.” They point out that Prohibition in the 17 Local Option States of America, whose law most nearly approximates to that of New Zealand, is a rural experiment (in- i eluding no town, that is. of over 8000 in- | habitants), but they declare that “ its ! i

success is beyond question, and the results s are of a character to justify confidence in < a similar experiment applied to like dis- , tricts in this country ” —i.e. England. In “ the rural districts of Canada (which in- t elude in the aggregate a considerable pro- ‘ portion of the total population; the general t success of the policy is unquestionable, i. but it contributes little or nothing to the d solution of the problem in the towns.” n Nevertheless Halifax, St. .John, Brantford, a and Winnipeg voted Prohibition. Thus ir Prohibition, according to Messrs Ptown- c: tree and Sbe-rweli, except in cities of over &< 8000 inhabitants, is a complete success, di 1 Why is it not a success in the larger L I cities '! First, because a thing which has m I never existed can scarce!.'/ be said to be w

I either a partial or complete success ; and ■, { second, because the administration of the . j law where it did exist was altogether bad. 3 J Would that the- next edition of Messrs > j Rowntree and Sherwell’s book might be . j able to record the success of Prohibition, ; both rural and urban, in New Zealand. 1 ! To do so, I am sure, would afford both of I them much pleasure.—l am, etc., M. H. Sieywr IGHT, I Gisborne, November 11, 1002. I