Page 3 Advertisements Column 2

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2212, 16 October 1907, Page 3

F RATERNAL LODGES AND LIQUOR DEALERS. In a recent issue of the 'New Voico” there is an interesting article on the Fraternal Brotherhood of America and its attitude towards the Drink Traffic. A table of 61 different Orders are given, out of which no less than 53 refuse,to admit either Saloon Keepers or Bartenders as members. Somo of tlieso lodges are very large, such as the “Independent Order of Oddfellows” (1,500,000 members), “Knights of Pythias” (600,- )), “Tribe of Ben Hur” (70,000), 000), and “The Knights of Honour,” with a membership of 60,000. Of these 64 Orders, 27 go a step further, and REFUSE TO ACCEPT MANUFACTURERS OF LIQUOR AS WELL AS SALOON KEEPERS AND BARTENDERS. Some of these 27 are also amongst the largest Orders in America, such as the “Modern Woodmen of America,” with a membership of 750,000, “Knights of the Maccabees of the World” (300,000), the “Woodmen of the World” (300.000), and “Independent Order of Foresters,” with its over 200,000 members. Thus it will be seen. that although arc have only mentioned eight of the 53 lodges that consider saloon keepers and bartenders unfit to be accepted as members, the total of these amount to a membership of nearly 4,000,000. This is a fearful blow a.t the liquor dealers* and is a striking proof as to the sentiment against this class of destroyers hardening in America. So inveterate is this hostility to the saloon keeper that the “Modern Woodmen of America” Order (one of the largest) classes him in its laws as engaged in a “dishonorable occupation.” This description of the liquor traffic cannot be called too strong, for it only harmonises with that of the liquor dealers themselves. In the Majority Report of tho Royal Commission appointed a few years ago by tho British Government, which was signed by eight liquor dealers, the following words are recorded: “It is undeniable that a gigantic evil remains to be remedied, and hardly any sacrifice would ho too great which would result in a marked diminution of this national degradation.” As this remarkable utterance was signed by the liquor members of tho Commission, the condemnation of the drink traffic it contains becomes tlieir own. How unspeakably awful must this traffic be when those who carry it on describe it as a “GIGANTIC EVIL AND NATIONAL DEGRADATION.” We are often accused by our opponents of using exaggerated terms in our condemnation of the drink traffic, but wlmt words can more strongly describe its fearful ravages than those just quoted, especially in view of the source from which they come. Surely if, anyone ought 'to know something of the inner workings and outward results of the liquor traffic it should be those who are lie authors of it, and these with ; a t>freshing candour have declared it r> be a “gigantic evil” and a “nqiouul [.jegradatiou.” C.P.