The Globe. SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1611, 19 April 1879, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1879.

The principles of the Now Zealand Alliance have been well brought before us by the Hon. W. Fox. This veteran apostle of temperance, like good wine, mellows with age. His views on the general question are certainly now much more pra«tical than they were years ago. Abstinence pure and simple was for many years his platform, but as time passed on he found that his ideas on this subject were untenable, if he were to expect some solid resilt to flow from his exertions. And so le has joined his forces with that school wio have set themselves to seize on every vaxtage ground from whence they can combit the gigantic evils of intemperance. Holding that whoever is not against tlem is with them, the disciples of this sciool have determined to receive into their bid all who are moved to stir in abating what wo may fairly call a national scandal. The programme of the Few Zealand Alliance is extremely b'oad, and whatever views the seriously funking part of the community may entertain, it cannot at all events withhold its sympathy from a body of men who lot only are earnest in their endeavours to improve the condition of thousands of their follow creatures, but are working with a freedom from bigotry which is highly commendable. For whatever may bo a man’s ideas on the proper method of the repression of intemperance, ho must face the fact that it is the greatest curse which afflicts the Anglo-Saxon race. The people of New Zealand are spending two millions sterling directly

on intoxicating liquors, and aro incurring a loss perhaps equal in amount as an indirect consequence of that expenditure. The meeting hold in the Provincial Council Chamber on Thursday evening was, wo wore sorry to see, but poorly attended. The report of tho proceedings, to bo found in another column, will bo, however, road with interest. Mr. Fox brought his case logically and eloquently before his hearers. Ho pointed out tho Haws of tho Act of 1873, how that the districts were far too largo, and tho want of machinery rendered its clauses practically inoperative, and ho pressed for steps being taken which would insure the manifest intention of tho Legislature being carried out. On the whole Mr. Fox’s speech whs temperate in tone, and ■ asked merely for what might fairly bo demanded. When an Act on any subject is passed, and that Act is rendered useless by a faultinoss in tho machinery provided it is, self-evident that tho faults in construction should bo at once remedied, otherwise tho Act may fairly bo called a bogus Act, and its framers and tho body who passed it stand under tho suspicion of possessing no real wish to see its enactments carried into force. Mr. Fox’s eagerness, however, betrayed him into one or two expressions of sentiment which, on calm reflection, it is probable lie would wish to retract. His ideas on tho proper qualifications for a publican aro somewhat strained, It is absurd to assort that higher qualifications aro required for a hotel-keeper than a member of Parliament. Mr. Fox says that tho former must possess tho most delicate perception of character; that bo is bound to ascertain at a glance how much a man asking for liquor can carry without becoming intoxicated. Surely this s'ort of perception is not of tho highest character. The idea is perfectly farcical. Does Mr Fox moan to say that he himself and other leading men of New Zealand are, on tho whole, totally unworthy of being licensed victuallers ? What, of course, is wanted in a publican is steadiness, uprightness, and a fair knowledge of the method of making his guests comfortable. It is self-ovidont that many of tho persons who obtain licenses are totally Unfit for their positions. A liian Must, in some capacity, have soon a good deal of well conducted establishments, in order to direct one himself; a ploughman or a shepherd taken straight from tho plough or tho run is evidently quite out of place as a hotelkeeper. In Now Zealand, however, unfortunately the contrary idea seems to to obtain. But Mr, Pox goes to an absurd length When ho places the publican above tho M.H.R. Thou with regard to another point, Mr. Fox, in remarking on tho desirability of gaining power for his party in Parliament, says that candidates should be asked at elections whether they wore favourable to his Bill. If they replied, “We don’t care much about Mr. Fox and his Bill,” the answer should be, “We don’t care much for you and your election.” Here again Mr. Fox’s eagerness loads him astray. Tho sympathies of the general community will most certainly be alienated from the movement if any such course as suggested wore pursued. Such a course would tend to lay all other legislation under the heel of the temperance question. That question is, doubtles, very important, but the first thing to suffer, if Mr Fox’s suggestions were carried out, would be tlio iomporanoo movement, itself. Tbe interests involved are so complicated and tho ability required to solve tho knotty point is so groat, that were members to be elected solely on the grounds of whether they agreed with Mr. Fox’s Bill or not, the cause would greatly lose by the bargain. Let Mr. Fox apply the breadth of view he has shown with regard to the general question to this particular point, of the election of candidates for Parliament, and he will find that he will be none the worse off in the long run. However an earnest advocate of any great question can hardly be expected not to run into extremes occasionally. Taking Mr. Fox’s treatment of the subject as a whole, it is wide and varied, far more so than the treatment given to it by tho Attorney-General the other day in Dunedin. But Mr. Stout has not passed through tho same trying ordeal that has not only mellowed Mr. Fox, but has given him a claim to general respect.