PUBLIC BARS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2011, 4 August 1880, Page 3

PUBLIC BARS.

To the hditor ef the Gljole. . Sib, -The combined efforts of w “ 11 ‘ ing and right-minded men from the year 1832 to the present time have been unable to get rid of drunkards or to stop the torrent of drunkenness. Temperance societies and ministers have done nothing comparatively towards stopping the evil. Drunkenness and dissipation ore more rampant than over Our lovely New Zealand is stamped with that d Tho a eitabliB n h d ingand allowigg open bars in publichouses at almost every available earner of the streets of our towns by our legislators /for gain), and keeping them open until nearly midnight (after other business places are closed), is the greatest source of evil. They are the Devil’s traps, wherein to catch the ignorant and unwary, and degrade and destroy humanity, and bring misery on our race. Those public bars are chiefly patronised by men low born, low in education, low in intellect and many of whom (being Eeghsh serfs) are scarcely once removed from the animal, and almost if not entirely lost to all honor. Our Parliament will never reform them with its present Licensing Laws, Teetotallers cannot, or are too indifferent to try to, reclaim them, ministers cannot convert them, in fact they are too far degraded or sunk in infamy to bo worthy of any respect, and should not be tolerated (with the taint of tobacco, whisky, and dirt upon them) by a worshipping community. My suggestion, therefore, is (in order to get rid of them) lot the publicans poison them with adulterated liquors as fast as they can with sa f ety to their own necks, and let the druggists have an uncontrollable right to sell the publicans any noxious drugs suitable for that purpose. Then, if the fools will drink let them drink and die. But if you don’t want them to die off in this way then destroy these open doors. And in order to stop Sunday drinking (which is horrible) let them watch the public houses every Sunday, with power to apprehend every man woman and child seen going for drink:, but in no case let the publican be molested, though he exceeds the limit of his license, f as he is doing the licensed work of dealing out death to the drunkard. I am, &0., WM. PARKER. Christchurch, 2nd August, 1880. [We are afraid that the measures advocated by our correspondent are somewhat too drastic. There would, we fancy, he a possibility of the criminal calendar of the Supreme Court being considerably enlarged at the sessions following the date when our correspondent’s measures came into full play.— E». Globe ]