ANGLICANS AND PROHIBITION

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1920, Page 3

ANGLICANS AND PROHIBITION

| AN INTERESTING DECISION

SYDNEY, Nov 30

Thu Anglican Synod, sitting at Newcastle hud an interesting discussion on prohibition during the past week. It is a fact worth recording that the Anglican Church in this country 1b becoming more and more outspoken in its opposition to this method of liqour reform.

Canon Ritchie moved:—‘"That this Synod recommends all Church people in the diocese to vote for prohibition of the liquor trade at the coming referendum.” Thereupon Mr Dunn moved an amend inent: "That the Synod recommends all Church people to vote according to their conscience.” Thu llev. F. W. Haire said that some of them looked upon prohibition as a counsel of despair. He rather favoured the dignified and moderate attitude 0 t the Church, of England. Temperance, he said, did not mean total abstinence. It was all right to say, “Shut up the public-houses,” but were they prepared to supply something in their place for working people? . The Rev. A. C. Acton was of opinion that the trade should ho made responsible for the harm it did, nnd compelled as far as possible to pay for it. An Archdeacon said ho believed in physical aid being brought in for moral consolation. Prohibition would result in people taking to drqgs or worse. Men’s morals were never built up by compulsion, and if the Synod advised people to vote for prohibition it was going (perilously near to saying that thy Almighty had made a mistake. Dean Crotty moved a further amendmend: “That the Synod recommends Church people to make a close study of the liquor traffic, with a view to its reform.”

The mover of the amendment thereupon withdrew, and Dean Crotty’s amendment was carried-