The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1908. THE OPEN BAR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2337, 2 November 1908, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MON D AY, NOVEMBER 2, 1908. THE OPEN BAR.

In. just about a fortnight’s time the electors o£ Gisborne » ill bo caM to deckle whether or .not the “resent method of wiling l.quor from onen bar Kliall bp continued pi whether tl.o much discussed system shall be given a trial. It « imnosslhlo to overestimate the impo t",me of tl.» question, oomjjared with vTch the election of pol to* «J----didates sinks into eonn>ai«tive itJH. nificarme . Year by year tl.o subject has continued to obtrude itself nowadays it is impossible to hold a parliamentary election or even a m«: nicipal one without tfie liquor issue creeping in and dominating the situation. It is precisely the same in other countries. In England a ie | present time political parties are waging a desperate struggle -qyer tpo 'Ucousing .Bill, and in the United States 80,000,000 of people arc paying more attention to the manner m which the liquor interests aro involved in the coming elections than they are to the question: as to whether ladt or Bryan is to be tlieir next President. In these countries ;as well as m Now Zealand the open bar stands largely condemned at the tnimnat of public upimon, , »nd the' only. question remaining is whether or mot the system of no-license such, as is in vogue in gome New Zealand towns provides a

roasonablo settlbment of. a great ‘problem. One party asserts -that the remedy is worse than the disease; the other that no-license has brought about very marked improvement ■wherever it has been tried. In the turmoil which his ensued 1 over the question many sido issues have been introduced which really only serve to confuse the issues, and it is therefore ■wise to direct attention to the ossontial points that should be considered when the local option poll is being decided. Even the most bigoted liquor advocate must concede that an expenditure of £4) 000,000 in intoxicating liquor represents inexcusably extravagance for so small a population as that of New Zeal'and, whilst the evils of the traffic are now generally admitted. The fact that drunkenness is common amongst us and that every year thousands of our young men are qualifying for a drunkard’s career must, to any thoughtful observer, represent a. grave national menace. The present position is one tlrat must be faced, and until it is settled and settled right, the liquor issue will continue to be a disturbing factor in all public questions. No sound defence can be made ion behalf of the present system, and the. only "uncertainty is whether or not the abolition of the open bar will in itself provide the true solution. The brewers and publicans say not, >and in proof thereof depict a condition of 'affairs in these districts where the remedy has been tried, which x if accepted as correct, would seriously damage the oause of no-ldcense advocates. But it anust be remembered that their own business interests are so vitally concerned in the continuance of the present system, that their testimony would never be accepted in any Court as unprejudiced. In any case in endeavoring to show that the closing of hotel bars brings depression to a community, increases crime, and demoralises the inhabitants, they try to prove too much, for the extravagance of such claims conveys their own condemnation. On the other hand the No-license party consists of men and women who have no direct interest, in the change they arc advocating and in the fight they aro waging they are entitled to the sympathy and respect of the community. It must not, however, be forgotten that the testimony of the no-license advocate is almost as likely—thongs from different motives—to be incorrect as that of the trade representatives, for in his zeal for reform lie frequently acquires the habit of looking at things with* distorted vision and seeing merely that which, he desires to see. One of the gravest errors made by the No-license party was firstly, that of expecting too much from the result of their successes in particular districts, and secondly, of endeavoring to prove that those 'results had absolutely transpired. Between these two extremes the truth may be found.

It is sheer nonsense to suggest that if No-license were carried in Gisborne prosperity would ammedi&+** , ' v depart, and that the poo-’ _ 'V, promptly lose their - n IC " oU \ become dee*-- moral sense an wouV ’ mierates. Similarly, it L 1)C absurd to expect that drun- . licnness and crime al ish from the town, and that business 1 would bo enormously increased. _ would conduct Ins

affairs much as ho does now. wore and there a bad debt would become Rood through the diversion of a C T but a har to his home, out as a tiling any alteration in trade »1H be so abtribnted as to to s«reely appreciable by any individual firm. Drunkenness instead of being prevalent would be rare, and mtoxicati.ncr liquor would be much more difficult to obtain. The dipsomaniac would still got his liquor somehow, and large quantities would stilt he consumed in the district. But the casual drinking which is at- present carried on would ho largely abolished and the “shouting” habit would he minimised. More important than alt, however—and it- is here, to our minds, that -argument on the No-license issue should begin—the temptation to our young men would be done away with t-o a considerable extent, Every day and might -a largo proportion of the youths of the town arc to bo found drinking at tlip open bar. A percentage of these are so constituted physically that it is only a question of time when the tempt-atioi will dominate their will and they wil' join the ranks of heavy drinkers. To upbraid these unfortunates is futile : alcohol’ appeals to them j, n . "a manner quite different from what it clpes to others, and the fact is no har to tlieir possession of many of the finest human qualities-. Common experience is that the liquor degenerate is often. _a, magnificent type of man, ruinecl hy one failing, and vastly superior mentally and inlly to those who sneer at him. M ithout alcohol such a man would' he a credit to himself and of value to the community, and until the habit had once been acquired, he would nevci dream of going out of his way to obtain intoxicating liquor. fench a young man living in Gisborne qt m present limp yoqld almost inevitably find his way into tho hotels, and the social surroundings would attract him to the open- bar so frequen ly that the- various stages from occasional dfrnkiug, frequent tiling:

and heavy drm'kmg to frequent drum konness would he easily _ reached. Were the open bar abolished th© prospects of such an individual avoiding tlio liquor habit would be infinitely greater. To obtain a glass.-of liquor he would have to resort to sneaking tactics, and this in itself, would prove an effectual bar'in very many oases. In other words, thcie is y® strong probability that were Iso-li-cense carried in Gisborne a large proportion of. those who are tat present addicted to the frequent consumption of intoxicating liquor would continuo to obtain it in some way, but, those who have;mot acquired the habit would not do so. The open bar is breeding fresh drunkards every year, commencing with the youth as he leases school, and if No-license will give the lad a better chance of avoiding the ruin and degradation of drunkenness it is well worthy of a trial.