NO-LICENSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2295, 14 September 1908, Page 2

NO-LICENSE.

ADDRESS IN THE THEATRE. The no-license campaign was continued in His Alajesty’s Theatre last evening, when Air. A. J. Black addressed a largo audience upon the question.

Air. Alalcolm AlcLeod occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the lecturer.

Mr. Black, who was well received, opened the proceedings by singing the hymn “Rescue the Perishing.” Addressing the audience, Mr. Black said many no-license lecturers had mercenary motives imputed to them, but he wished to say his work in Gisborne was part of a life’s work and a succession of attacks upon an evil that had lived too long. He regretted that the old meetings of the days gone by wero only now memories of history. He felt that beforo a great election there should bo crowded audiences. Perhaps it was that the workers were so confident of the success of the movement that there was no need for demonstrative enthusiasm. There was a tremendous awakening going on around the world in favor of temperance, and the movement against the foe of liquor was universal. The Russian Government had removed the stamp of the eagle from the vodka bottles, and replaced It with the sign of the skull and crossbones. Switzerland, Germany, and France had all recognised tile evils of drink, and wero striving to combat its deadly evils. The British Government was prepared to stand or fall by the Licensing Bill, but he (Mr Black) thought' Great Britain was going to rise, and her people also, to greater power by the passing of that great measure. Australia had awakened to the fact that the time had arrived to sound the death-knell of the liquor traffic, and hotels wero being closed down in great numbers. New Zealand was working for a great reform, and he was one of the optimists that thought reform was soon to come over the land. Men had awakened to the fact that the time had come to work in the great fight against the evils of darkness underlying the liquor traffic. The battle was one of national importance, and unless Great Britain awakened t-liero would be an enemy at her door that would destroy the national life. The drink question was ir commercial question, and had taken hold of the minds of clear-minded business men, but behind all was the promptings of the spirit of God. In America the successess of tho prohibition movement had been vouched for, not alone by temperance advocates, but by the greatest business men. In the prohibition States 49 per cent of the people owned their own houses, and that was well worth the consideration of the working mail from an economic standpoint. The drink question was a social question, and he (Mr. Black) in his visits to the goals heard testimony of the evils of the drink. The liquor trade had published a picture to try and get the people to believe that the trade should exist for the sako of boys and girls and for the sake of the homes of New Zealand. He was in the movement, not so much to save men who had blighted their hopes, but he was after the boys that hod as yet been untouched by the curse. If tho bars could be closed the manufacture of drunkards would be stopped. The movement found room for everybody, and while he would not condemn any individual in the trade, ho found it impossible to say anything good for the evil traffic. Only the individual work of the voters would carry no-licenso, and ho hoped those present would remembei that fact when election day came around. He believed the majority ot the women of New Zealand would cross out the top line for tho sako of their families and homes.

Tho singing of the Doxology brought the meeting to a. close. Mr. Black will speak at To Arai this evening, in His Majesty’s Theatre tomorrow and Wednesday evening, and on Friday evening at the Sicvwrigbt memorial, Peel Street,