N.Z. ALLIANCE

Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1932, Page 8

N.Z. ALLIANCE

ANNUAL MEETING BEING HELD ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT;'

(Per Press Association — Copyright.)

WELLINGTON, July 14

In his presidential l address annual meeting of the ,'N.Z. All.ance, ■vhieh opened in : Wellington this morning, the Rev. J. R. Blanchard iaid.—

bWo meet at- a, time of unparalleled

JifficuOty and perplexity. • Thrpugbjut- the civUsed woiid men and -women 1 are (struggling with economic and social problems of such* magnitude ,apd complexity as to .'bewilder! the keenest minds. Yet there seem to be very few signs that people are returning to the great moral'’principles which underlie any sound arrangement of .human affairs.' ;The ’ question “Is it right?” is still subordinated to the expedient “will it; .pay?” ; In. Great Britain, as here and in the U.S'.A. leaders of public thought still discuss the problem of liquor sofe]y from the standpoint of money. The bait of

evenue derived • from it- is still a dictatorial item in national budgets. As an organisation wee stand for ab jlition of the liquor traffic-by- the di-

rect' vote of- the people ; Having Ll'

;he . decision in the hands 7 of .. the pep ! !e, and wisely sop'we;must’ mesln--ime suffer a national policy; which vis i .nrntly ; financed . by-revenues' derived :rom this trathe! im intoxicating i*qu6 f . But we shall never cease proclaiming that such revenue derived' from ;the

.no.. : ii aciuion,- misery aifd : ruin of a' section of the community, is tainted revenuearid* that to"’derive revenue ip .such a way is a betrayal of those Christian principles ; , 'upoJ which we boast that our national life is founded. Neither shaft! we ,; ' Cease striving, firstly, to make known the unshakeable body of scientific : truth which reveals the alcohol drinking habit as definitely injurious, and secondly, to win over an overwhelming body jf public opinion in favour of abolish; ing traffic which is Oipdt.-ed ; -.'in;-''pverj ./ay to the we l , fa re of the nation.' ■■yfa 'recognise *that in' recent ,yeai: .here has been an adverse develop inent ih, tho votes recorded by- the people of New Ze land on 'this >. question. '■ -But we . take-that'not’ss defea. out as’a challenge to enter , upon i ■ wii ; e, far-seeing and determined spolicy of public education. I*also' take /his opportunity of repeating what '• have often said and shall Continue tr say, that votes in favour' of a - thing cannot’,giake a bad thing good;' -Voter : in favour of it do not prevent’it'filling., our Courts with cases for conviction, op robbing children of their birthright, or a good home. Votes in favour of it do not bring to life again thosej . who .meet .death, on our '.roads .became*, of alcohol affected motor drivers., Science, the humanitarian spirit, and! moral justification are on our side.- ■ 1 Aij an organisation we have had, cur - vicissitudesand are not yet through all our' difficulties. But we, care greatly encoux-aged by, the fact; th.at, 'despite .economic, depression, we; are to-day in. an 1 , incomparably ’ better;, position . financially, than ~wp ' were after fthe polls of 1925 and 1928. This hair been made possible only by the. Heroic devotion and self-sacrifice of those, who, withput anything to, gain, for themselves, . have sustained' this great warfare of emancipation in Nev Zealand, for the past sixty yearn. Some of the Dcminiqn’s best men and women have given of life and.substance to this crusade, the moral conviction and spiritual - pension 'at the | heart of which has produced imifjbrtal examples of valour and generosity. That..spirit., still .moves ,us. , .With, Ah--nd of accumulated (liabilities of''part years'/in asightpi.and tine, pup.posp firmi within‘us-; then to- devote . the. pntirincome of the .movement to the? prosecution of educational:-, activity(,;we arc confident that funds .will, not be, lackingl, ito" enable us to take the field in for.ee once more with., a. policy, which faces the'facts of the situation and, aadetermination to carry .our flag to final' victory backed by an overwhelming. natiorjal demand for the emancipatfon ’ ofr New Zeajland from the thraldom of the* liquor traffic 1 .-. - 'There can .be no, final -solution 1 o' 1 the liquor .problem-.so long as the- ..traffic >in liquor is. legalised, no : matter what restrictions are placed upon it. Such >a- traffic is a- cancer in the national body and there is no , effective cure but to exit, it out. .For centuries mankind has sought to solve the .problem, and it may be that .the struggle will: yet ; long - continue;' Appetite, greed and criminality have always been am ./unholy trinity to fustrate again and again measure.; for the emancipation ,of mankind from, old evils. Blit we, who know that righteousness shall triumph, will return again and yet again to the fight until the enlightened minds and awakened omcienoe? . 0f.,.a tlor'T.ghly arousecj people . shall declare 'the dawn 0f... r. neiv day when the errse shall be lifted -<nd the traffic in liquor.'-'shall be no l more. : ' ' ;