LOCAL OPTION BILL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 928, 15 June 1877, Page 3

LOCAL OPTION BILL.

A meeting Avas held last evening at the Oddfellows' Hall to meet Mr R. Stout, M.H.K., and to hear from him an exposition of the principles of the Local Option Bill. Owing to the inclemency of the weather the attendance was very limited. On the platform were the Primate, Hon E. Siehardson, Kev H. C. M. Watson, Messrs W. 3£om>oinery, S. P. Andrews, Trumble, Gray. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair. In Gpening the business of the evening, the Chairman said that the meeting had been called to consider the Lacal Option Bill in connection with the liquor traffic. He need not detain them longer, but call on the Primate to move the first resolution.

The Primate said the following resolution had been put into his hands : 1. That, in the opinion of this meeting, a very large proportion of the vice, crhue, disease, poverty, and other social evils which exist in this Colony, are the direct result of the traffic in and intemperate use of alcholic beverages. He thought there was no one present who was not of the opinion that a great proportion of diseases and crime was attributable to the use of alcoholic liquors. It was not necessary for him to attempt to prove this, because it was patent to all. Their public journals, even within the past; week, teemed with the fatal consequences of intemperance. He had come there that'evening to express by his presence and ny the few words he would utter, his entire svmpathy with those who were endeavoring to repress the great evil of drunkenness. ° But while this was so, he also reserved to "himself the right of considering what means should be adopted to stem the evils arising from drink. Unfortunately, the evil effects of drink did not only affect the individual—the wives [and families of those who were unfortunately addicted to drink were also the great sufferers. He was nofc a Good

Templar, but he belonged to the greatest society in the world, which pledged him to temperance and to assist those who were taking means in this direction. But how was this to be done? At one time it was thought educat ; on would do this, but he could call to mind examples of men of culture who gave way privately to the ■vice of drunkenness. Therefore education was not a repressive agent. Could the law be brought in to do it ? "Well, the law did certainly repress vice in many ways. It prohibited the sa'e of poisons and gambling. Therefore the State had a right to enact laws which would conserve the morality of the people and put out of the reach of those who were addicted to intemperance the temptation to become as the beasts which perish. Even if a man were alone, and not having others dependant upon him, it must be remembered that he has a duty to perform ta society. He might be in a high position, and if so his example would have a most pernicious effect. Thus even one who might consider he was not connected in any way with society ought to be so brought under the law as to prevent him from being a curse to himself and those around him. While sympathising with the efforts of those who desired to repress intemperance, he was not prepared to say that the Local Option Bill was the right thing to do it. If the Bill became law, one district might adopt it, and thus no place for the sale of liquor would be allowed. But would not evil likely arise from the contiguity of the neighboring district in which liquor might be sold. He hoped that Mr Stout would be enabled to disabuse his mind of this objection. He hailed with satisfaction meetings of this kind, because it helped to form a healthy state of public opinion upon this matter. For this reason such efforts deserved every sympathy and support, even if one could not go to the length of agreeing witli the measure which was to be proposed. Ho recollected when drunkenness in the University was not considered a crime, but now public opinion had altered all this, and he could not sec but that public opinion could spread throughout the whole mass so as to work the same result. Though, as he had said, not prepared then to go the length of supporting Mr Stout's Bill, yet lie felt that any one who brought before the public the evils of intemperance Avas deserving of the utmost sympathy and support. [Cheers.] The chairman read an apology from the Kev. Mr Macfarlane on account of illness, but stating that the Bill of Mr Stout had his hearty support. Mr S. P. Andrews came forward to second the resolution. The facts staled in it were so patent that it was not necessary for him to adduce any arguments in its favor. He might, however, by leave of the meeting go rather from the purport of the resolution and pave the way as it were for those which were to follow. So many attempts had been made to regulate the licensing system that no one would deny that the time had arrived when the licensing laws required amendment. The present law was not satisfactory to any one. It did not satisfy the publicans or the temperance people. So far as Mr Stout's Bill was concerned it seemed to him that it was the easiest solution of the dealing with the liquor traffic that he had ever read. He would ask leave to read a short extract from the Wellington Evening Post which fully showed the necessity for an alteration in the licensing laws. [Bead.] The question arose where houses were required, and who should decide it. This was exactly what Mr Stout's Bill proposed. They were becoming so well versed in the exploded theories that paid magistrates or commissioners could settle these matters. Whatever was done in this should be done by the people themselves, and this was what they were fighting for in Mr Stout's Bill. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. The Kev. H. C. M. Watson regretted that the state of the weather had prevented a larger audience to welcome Mr Stout. There was no doubt that there was a great change in public opinion on the matter of intemperance. He recollected when a student for orders was told that if as a clergyman he became a teetotaller lie would lose caste. Now, however, there were thousands of clergymen teetotallers. This would show the change which had taken place. The attempts to tinker up the law relating to the liquor traffic had only resulted in nothing. No one who knew the misery inflicted on thousands of households wculd say that though much had been done, the time hud arrived when they could stay their hand and say that they had done enough. He' contended that it was perfectly right that the ratepayers should have the opportunity of expressing _ their opinions on a subject so vitally interesting to them. [Cheers.] In all movements of, this kind of course there must be some evils, but he believed the gain would be very much greater. Looking to the fact that a great change had come over the feeling of the educated portion of the people, he had great confidence that before long they would arrive at that state of things which was depicted in a recent cartoon in Punch. In this the drinking customs of the period now were contrasted with the state of things which Avould exist some twenty years hence when the teetotallers had closed up the public houses. The question was becoming one of statesmen, and this was a good sign, because hitherto it had been considered rather more a question to be dealt with by the clergy. Once the matter was made a statesman's question it would soon make its way. It had been said that you cannot make people moral by Act of Parliament, but this was not true. It was done every day. Again, it had been urged that by this Bill they were introducing a sumptuary law, which Avas wrong. But even now they lived under sumptuary laws, as any one of his male hearers Avould find out if he went into the street in women's costume. The real qnestiou AA'as, Did the state of things exist Avhich justified the introduction of such a law ? Well, let them take a few facts. One Avas that one-third of the Avholc revenue of Great Britain was spent in drink. Was it a fact that the 'making of widows and orphans justified the intervention of the majority ? Was it a fact that the deterioration of the race, physically and morally, justified the intervention of the majority P He said it was. But besides this, it was a matter of touching the pockets of the people. The sober men and Avomen had to support the orphans of the drunkard, and had to pay for the debts incurred by the drunkard in the way of an increase on the prices charged to sober people. If people were all sober the shopkeeper could sell an article Avhich he now charged 2s 6d for at 2s. If they Avere a sober community they could live for 33 per cent less, and therefore they had a right to ask the help of legislation to enable them to save this amount of money. [Cheers.] He now begged to move — That, in the opinion of this meeting, no system of licensing: by-laws has yet been effeo

tive for the prevention of those evils to prevent which they wei-e enacted, and that therefore a change is necessary both in the principle and and method of the laws dealing with the liquor trade.

Mr Gray briefly seconded the motion, which was put and carried unanimously. Mr Stout said some little difficulty in speaking to the resolution ho had in his hand, because the discussion touched somewhat on politics, and he came from Ota go where they agreed with nothing at all in Canterbury. He desired to point out where he considered the drink traffic required alteration at the hands of the Legislature. The first of these was the great amount of money spent in intoxicating liquors. This amounted to nearly two millions of money, which would pay very nearly all the interest on the loans they hud contracted. But besides this the drink traffic caused disease and death. It was only within the last few years that the diseases arising from drink had became known to the medical profession. It only needed a visit to any of their Lunatic Asylums to convince them that the drink traffic was the cause of the majority of cases. Another point which had not been touched upon by any of the previous speakers was that indulgence in drink involved hereditary taint. That was that the drunkard's children would receive a predisposition to drink. To illustrate this ho would quote from one of the lectures of Dr Richardson. [Read.] Having admitted the evils by the resolutions they had passed, it became necessary to seek what remedies should bo applied. The first of these was the formation of public opimon. Looking back over history, they wouuT" see what great events sprang from trifling causes. They saw a small cloud like a man's hand arising on the horizon of thought, which speedily covered the whole face of the earth. He need only refer to the rise . of public opinion as regarded witchcraft to show how the expression of public opinion swayed matters. Let them look again at the doctrine of evolution and its rise amongst them. It was to public opinion and the formation of it they must look for the putting down of the drink traffic. They could not expect to put it down at once. It was a matter of time. The habit was recorded in the earliest history of the race, and the advocates of temperance reform must make up their minds that its advance must be slow, gradual, and almost imperceptible. [Hear.] Again, let them look at the growth of education. All things that went to make up culture were at one period of time absent. But, now with the growth of education culture had progressed. The advance was noticeable from the fact that intoxication had become less since the growth of education, and the consequent improvement in the morals of the race. Looking at the temperance question from a secular point of view—for he did not intend to introduce the religious aspect he saw the state had interfered to repress intemperance. The law punished a man for being found drunk in the street. But the law had gone further than that during the past twenty years. They had a Lunatics' Act, under which a Judge of the Supreme Court could send a man to an Asylum for twelve months if his wife or others dependent on him made affidavit that he was injuring his health and wasting his property. The law had also made regulative laws, such as the licensing laws. This having been done, the question arose what was the course to be adopted in the regulation of the traffic ? This was his platform, and here he mightsay that the Local Option Bill merely carried out the law as at present. This was now regulative. It did not reeognise free trade ; o*ly certain persons were licensed, and they could only sell at certain hours and certain places. It must be also recollected that twothirds of the male or female adults in a district can prevent a man getting a license. This was the law now, and he hoped they would recollect, this, because it was urged against the Local Option Bill that it was introducing an innovation of personal liberty. Now what did the Local Option Bill do ? It left the law just as it was now in various parts ; but as regarded the granting of licenses, it took it from what was a personal matter, and made it a general one. Once in three years a roll of the residents of the district was to be made up by the clerk to the Licensing Bench. The residents were then asked not whether a license should be granted to John Jones or James Brown, but whether they desired licensed houses in the district at all.' If two-thirds voted that no license should be issued, the Licensing Commissioners did not issue it. But if not, then the license would issue for three years. [Cheers.] Now, as to the objections to the Bill, it was urged that it proposed to introduce a new restriction on the public, but he could not sec it at all. Let them look to the fact that the Licensing Commissioners could refuse to grant any license at all. This it seemed to him was a restriction of liberty. Was it move restrictive to take the vole of two-thirds of the residents than to put the power in the hands of the Licensing Commissioners ? Then there was the argument of the free-trader that the State had no right to interfere with the liquor traffic. But if this were allowed, nearly the whole of the statutes of New Zealand would have to he repealed. If this were so, what right had the State to make the healthy support the sick, or the honest support the criminal ? He saw that Mr Aynsley had said that the Bill was impracticable and unworkable. Mr Aynsley said that he would punish a man who would give drink to a man who had too much. But how were they to arrive at when a man had too much ? Was the man who was drinking to lie the judge, or Mr Aynsley, or the publican. Tf a publican gave a man'two bottles of brandy, how could ho tell if a man had too much, unless he went home with him? This did not seem to him to be a practicable method of dealing with the question. The other remedy proposed by Mr Aynsley was to open the public-houses on Sundays. This seemed to him to be a very peculiar way of dealing with intemperance, and he (Mr Stout) thought that when he came to say what his Bill proposed, the remedies there stated would be found better than Mr Aynsley's after all. It had also been urged that the Local Option Bill where it had been tried was a failure. Now he contended that in America, where it had been tried, it warfar more successful than any licensing law. In the House of Assembly in Canada not only had they adopted the Local Option Bill, but had declared that the importation and manufacture of liquors should cease in the Dominion. This was carried in the Assembly after a three days' debate. It had been urged that the publicans should receive compensation for their vested interests being taken away. He desired to meet this question fairly, and to do so he would refer to the present law. Here the license was granted for one year only, and the Licensing Bench could refuse to grant it. Did the law give any compensation should the Bench refuse the license ? Not ut

all. Again, under the present law two-thirds of the residents of any district could refuse to allow of a license being granted. But there was no mention in their law of compensation for this. [Cheers.] In England, it was true, the publican had a freehold in his license, and it could not be taken away except for good and sufficient cause. But there was no such a thing here. The license was granted as a sort of bargain between the Government and the publican to sell for one year, which was all. Therefore he thought he had disposed of the compensation question. [Cheers.] Tlie resolution he had been asked to move was as follows : That in the opinion of this meeting the principle embodied in the Local Option Bill is equitable, practicable, and likely to afford the public relief from many of the evils resulting from the consumption of intoxicating liquors.

There might be some minor objections, but he thought he had dealt with the principal ones to the Local Option Bill. As regarded laws, it must be recollected that all were merely striving after the best, and this was shown by the necessity for the amendment of their enactments from time to time. If they would only look at the fact that the use of alcohol tended to transmit all sorts of diseases to offspring, to weaken and destroy the nervous tissue, they would see the great effect that the individual vices of men had upon society. If they would only rise to the height of seeing that it was their duty to put a stop to what was an injury to the whole colony they woidd soon find that good results woidd follow. If they looked forward to the moral and social elevation of the race, they would aid in any movement which had for its object the repression of the evils arising from intemperance. Let them not be afraid to set an example to the other colonies, or to England herself. [Cheers.] They need not be afraid to trust the people with the power of saying by a two-thirds vote that they did not require publichouses in their district. [Cheers.] What he wanted to impress upon them was this, that they as individuals each exerted an influence on society around them. Let this be for evil, as under the present drink traffic, let them have a perpetuation of what he had already shown tl i em—of hereditary taint, of destruction of vital power, and the creation of pauperism and misery, and the result must be the moral deterioration of the race. But, on the other hand, if they persevered in the work of attempting by legislation to ameliorate the evils which were patent to all, they would by their example be helping to put the race in a higher and more refined position. This was what he wanted to do, and ho claimed for the work the support of all who were interested in the progress of the human race as a whole. [Loud and continued cheering.] His Worship the Mayor said that the Rev. Mr Macfarlane had been put down to second the resolution just proposed by Mr Stout, but as that gentleman was unavoidably absent he woidd ask some other gentleman to second it.

Mr Gray said that he would formally second the resolution.

The motion was then put and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to his Worship the Mayor for his kindness in presiding was then put and carried, and the meeting terminated.