The Trade Must Hustle.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 694, 13 December 1902, Page 4

The Trade Must Hustle.

The Dunedin liquor traders are wiser in their generation than the Christchurch ones (says Christchurch Truth). They have taken their lesson to heart, and are settingup a Vigilance Committee to keep an eye on things. They have sized up j the position, and concluded with quite remarkable intelligence that their existence depends on their good behaviour. Now, what are the Christchurch liquorsellers goiug to do? Are they going to adopt the principle, il A short life and a merry one,’’ or will they set about seeing to rcl'urms ? We want a \ igilanco Committee in Christchurch which will render the supervision of the police unnecessary, which will force every member of the trade to strictly, rigidly observe the law, or go out of the business, and let somebody better qualified take it up ; which will shut down on Sunday trading, selling after hours, serving drunken men, and so on, aud make the trade a clean, respectable, and respected business. Then the liquor-sellers may stand a chance of keeping themselves alloat. If they don’t see to it at once they will go under as sure as night follows day. Tho ominous figures published to-day show that the prohibition party actually Owns a large majority ol the votes of tllG colony, and that unless something very remarkable happens, it will be a bigger majority still next election. The local voting figures speak for themselves. They are an impressive demand for that Vigilance Committee. Wo hope the publicans won’t waste any time for thenown sakes. There must be no more drunkenness in this city, anil thcro must bo no more breaches of the law. This, a \ igilancc Committee composed of members of the trade itself, alone can see to. It can force Boniface to obey its rules or give up the trade, and that is the only way it can hope to save itself from annihilation three years hence. It had better hustle.