NO-LICENSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2274, 20 August 1908, Page 2

NO-LICENSE.

REV. T. FEE AT IHE THEATRE A LIVELY MEETING.

The Rev. Thnnui.'i I'Ve delivered Ilia .second led lire upon im-lieense in Ills Majesty's Theatre hut evening. The Alnyur' (Mr. W. I). L.vsnar) occupied Ihe'chair, and there was a large audieil.'C).

The Mayor, in inlrodneing Ihe lecturer, raid the om'.dinu to he diseiiKMed was an iniporlnnl. oncj mid Hie evidence they would hear would he useful to f hem, as it, wax necessary Dial, liol.lt sides id' I lie ipiesl.ion nhollld he I'onsidered when (lie elcclora were asked 1.0 cast, I heir voles. Air I'Ve, who win received will applause, mild lie was mil lighting indjvidmilrt, hnl. a Irallie Unit was injurious In nil and a friend lo none. The drink IrnHio killed al holli ends, and il, was lime il was iiasl out hy Llio t*< lllll n llll il,v. He 'lid not look upon the persons in the trade as his enemies; hill; Ids experience was Dial if a good man went, into llio trade ho diiPi.o! retain his goodness very long, lie i|unletl Ilm OHieinl Year Hook for |!)()| t<i shew Hint puhlieaiis and brewers did not; ciijo.v the longevity ol persons employed in oilier oooiipaI ions, and said Ihe fuel was a serious mid Lliiit it- sliowud tlio drink was no good to llio ouhlie. or llio portions engaged in Ilu* Irn llio. llio A.M.I*. Sue icily levied larger miums upon Die insurances ol perhomh wdio worn i'lij'-jihcml iu tlm drink I,raHie, because the life of the publican was not as sale as that of a man following sin'll a healthy occupation as farming. Surely I here was reason le save their lellotv-imm, and to slriko out, Ilm top line. .No father over wan led t" make his hoy a publican, or a mother her daughter a barmaid. If they would mil, pul their own children iu Midi positions why should they let Ihe Irallie continue to tempt other parents' children t In the ye ir HK)u, under live million gallons of boor wins consumed in the Dominion, end in 11101) over eight million gallons was. soul out ill Die breweries. In 1895 'I9(!H persons wore convicted of drunkenness, and Inst, year over 10,000 persons were charged with that olleneo. Some allowance had, however, to ho mmie for the increase in population, lull (lie Year Hoo'k also shewed that drunkenness was iueieasing in proportion to the population, ai:d was nearly dotihle in ratio in nine years. The reports of the Commissioners of Police of the Dominion showed that in the lirNl year of the present eoi' J " y •I lf>(> persons were convicted of drunk enness for the first time, and last yea, f)809 was till' total. The ranks ol drunkards were recruited year hy year in increasing numbers. These figures showed I here was a crying need for a change. .Mr. AVehh: State control. Voice* (derisively): Hear, bear. Mr. I'Ve: AVe will now take up the collection, for we cannot run these meetings without finance. Voices: Don’t you get paid? AD' Fee: Yes, I do get paid, because I can't, ulford to work for nothing. II it was only a ouestion ot money and not of conscience 1 would lecture for the brewers; hut 1 would not advocate the liquor trallic lor all the money that was ever made in it. The audience at this stage began to get rather talkative, a hubbub of voirtks boiii£ hoard in tho roar of uio building. Mr Fee then proceeded to take a glass of water. A voice: Alim! tin l microbes. Mr. I'Ve: This is the only drink in the world—Adam's wine. _ A young men: What- n~out the wine ‘at the Lord's Supper? Mr. Fee: 1 answer a fool according to his folly. A number of interjections were then made, and Alt'. Fee proceeded to say something about fools when Adjutant Dickons asked for order. The Chairman made a similar appeal. Air. Fee thou proceeded with lus address, and said a hotel license was issued at the will of the people, and publicans knew that under the best of conditions they were not entitled to a renewal when they took them out. The people had the matter in their own hands, and shoo'd not be b;uuluHUtled with the idea they wore dost toying property t hey decided district. If the people refused to issue any more licenses they did not interfere with tlio publican's liberty; hut simply refused to grant him a privilege that the rest of tho population did not iMxssoss. People did not claim, iu the name of liberty, a privilege to sell opium or any other deadly drug, and should not claim a privilege to buy or sell alcohol, which has as harmful an effect- as any drug. lie as'kod. was it not wise to drop a traffle that was so dangerous to the community? (Applause.) Mr. Fee then announced that he would answer questions. Mr. AVehh asked the lecturer's opinion on State control, and if a loss number of hotels produced more drunkenness, would not more hotels produce less drunkenness? Air. Fee replied that drunkenness had increased iu licensed areas, but bail decreased in no-lieense areas. Ho proceeded to answer the question in reference to State control by telling a humorous story.

Xlr. NYobb tiiwi asked that Mr. Fee answer the question straight out. Mr. Fee replied that it the man asking did not know how to behave he would find a man who would make him do so. Proceeding. Mr. Fee said State control had been proved a failure in South Carolina and in Russia. Mr. Webb then asked Mr Fee if his abuse ot tire trade would convert any person to his way of thinking. The questioner then proceeded to make a speech from the floor, and asked Mr. Fee if he (the speaker) put an intelligent question would he receive an intelligent answer? The crowd then proceeded to get into a merry tuoetl. and a gen'd deal of nonsense was gone on with. The Mayor asked if the questioner would write his questions. Mr. Webb: You would not 'understand my writing. He then proceeded to relate a story. The Chairman: Have you any questions?

Mr. Webb: Oh. yes! Co-sens. Coes Mr. Fee think all barmaids are bad w omen ? Mr. Fee: No. but the trade is bad ami makes men bad. Mr. Webb: l did not know barmaids were met:. Further questions were asked and answered, A geutlemau stood up. ami cold Mt\ Fee that if he u-ed hiss sarcasm ami a little more logic he might be better received.

Mr. Fee: The questioner would t>o.V send hi.s- questions uv 'u wfUirtg because the ehairtuatt could mu read b.i> writing. Mr. Webb: l nortec ktvw d tib.echairman, “cau" i.-vcv.v.tc:.' A uiuubcr ot qucssKv.'.s veto tbs-'t put ami answered, ami a V\dc or, thanks to the lecturer ami, she eba";niiar. brought the tmvtii.i.:,', to a, vlcacMr. Fee Wtls again lecture ut.v-u no, Ueetuse at the Tfiv-i' on Wd.-f-.N VY erring.