The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1933. PROHIBITION CONDEMNED

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1933. PROHIBITION CONDEMNED

The movement going on in the United States means in the near future the total eclipse of prohibition in that country. The panacea, so called, has been well tried, -and it has failed in every respect. It has been an example of the general failure of prohibitory legislation in whatever direction applied—-proving once again the difficulty of reforming the world by legislation. The law was outwitted from the first and an army of bootleggers was created who in the end found it to their advantage to support the principle; so that their illicit trading might be continued. The effect of the underground trade was to circulate evil liquor and to cause, great injury to those who imbibed. The law was broken on all sides. Even an army of police and other officials could not check the flouting of the law, and crime grew in violence and general seriousness. Added to the cost of the 'attempted system of control, was the loss of legitimate revenue under the former svstemised control—so that from first to last the cost to the country financially and in the weakened moral fibre of the nation, must have been tremendous. The' best proof of that unfortunate result is the unanimity with which prohibition is now being turned down by the States generally, and therein is a lesson for the world. In this country at intervals, there is an .upsetting of natural progress by the polls on the no-license issue. At the last appeal there' was a decided majority for the national continuance of license, and now with the example of America before the 1 world, it is time New Zealand stopped experimenting with such an 'absolute and expensive issue, alld turned its attention to doing something in improving. the fortunes of the trade. Much is exacted from the trade in taxation and revenue generally, but all the time there is the disposition to hamper and restrict the trade. Notwithstanding the large percentage •of customs and general revenue levied on the trade, those engaged in it, and particularly the hotel proprietors, are harrassed by a very vigorous application of the law which has been carried to the extreme largely under pressure of the war conditions. That time of concern has long passed but much, of the war time legislation remains, /and it js irksome alike on the hotel-keeper, the traveller and the public generally. Now we see a great muntry like America passing judgment on the restrictive legislation which has been found a. burden rather than a benefit. The licensing law of New Zealand in regard to the recurring polls and the restrictive legislation as to hours of trading, might well be revised. What has been passed in respect to hours was done at a time when conditions may have warranted some action in the general desire to win the war. But those conditions have long been changed, and there is to-dav no necessity for the restrictions. The same applies to the licensing polls in respect to which for some ten years the oeople have been voting in the majority substantially against no-license. At tbo present time there js the urgency ( for economic administration, and the saving of a recurring and upsetting election might well he included in the object for general savings.