The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20th, 1924.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20th, 1924.

A Dot'll I'lT'l. SI'CCiVSS. It eannol he said. so tar as one can glean at this distance, that prohibition is a sweeping success in t.lie I nited

Stales. Tin-re arc m:my reasons tor coining to this conclusion. hut u very ntvfiit reason appealed in the cabled liens the other (lay vhen it was indicated that war had been declared on the ruin Meet, which appears to (airly infect American waters, Tor a long tin.e a very unequal struggle has gone on in the effort to suppress the llow of li«|tior into Ainetiea. From time to time there aie reports of notable (liases and not a few captures, lint the Mini running as it is styled, ones on merrily. Ilow merrily is indicated by the naval lone now being organised to combat the ingenuity oi tile law breakers- many of whom have been making lot tones out of the business. 'file New York message last week recorded that no less than twenty destroyers of the world-war type, two tnimi sweepers, and .'ltd) motor craft patrols are being made ready for a campaign to sweep the ruin Meet from the Atlantic. When the licet stmts otlt it. will establish (the message adds) an armed barrier tilling the (‘oasl against the illegal traffic in litjunr. narcotics and aliens. An organisation of this nature will cost an enormous sum, so that the price of enforcing prohibition, it can he readily understood, is beyond the resources of any small country. Nor is it certain that this mighty fleet will he fully effective. There is a long stretch of coastline to watch, and it is clear there are more highways than one into the I'nited States. Along the Canadian frontier there are indications that smuggling is going on. It can lx' well understood that on the Mexican frontier. illegal tralficking in lirpnir would he very rife. Then there is the I’acilir coast line to he taken into account. From all this it will be seen the task of keeping liqtiur out of the Cnitcd Stales is colossal. Why is this so? ft is evident a high percentage of the public want the lir|iior. There is the demand and it is the business of someone to supply that demand—law or no law. We have the same spirit in New Zealand mi respect to gambling. Although liookmaker.s are prohibited—they flourish exceedingly—just because of the public demand. It was stated hi the House only last week that it is impossible almost to convict a tierson of honkmaking by a jury in New Zealand so that he shall lx> sent to gaol, beean.se ot public opinion. I*uhlie oliinion ill the I'nited States must to a very great degree favor liquor, and 1 oflc are taking the risk to satisfy that desire. The other day a Governor in Australia was called to tasktor saying the obvious about the farce so-called prohibition is. but what that official said is what many folk have long ago concluded, namely, that prohibition in practice is a. big game of ■make-believe, for the law is being flouted on all sides. In dry districts in New; Zealand there are continual breaches of tlie law for the smile reasiiii—the weight of public opinion. So with the early closing hour in th s country—it is frequently broken keen use public opinion in the main does rot regard it with a sense of respect. The infliction or regulation is really ahead of public opinion and operun unfairly on the masses. These social efforts to succeed must have the impress of public opinion behind them to ensure that degree of success which can be •on.sidered satisfactory