CORRESPONDENCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4865, 14 August 1925, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

SOLDIERS AND LIQUOR. £To the Editor!. Sir,—l have to thank you for the opportunity afforded me to reply to the various letters published in your columns under the above heading. Those letters have apparently been written by Prohibitionists who were not present at the Chamber of Commerce’ meeting whereat this controversy commenced. The report -as published in the paper not being a full one has given quite a false impression of what was actually stated by both Mr Marshall and myielf. I quite understand that the space in your paper is too valuable to give a verbatim report of the many meetings held locally. The' writers of the letters to you have twisted and mutilated my remarks in true wowser form, and have endeavoured to put into my mouth statements which I never made or even inferred. The writer of the second letter, signed “Three Years,” states that he believes that I assert that the drinkers were the only brave men. He can believe whatever he likes, and evidently does believe anything' he is told without taking the trouble to ascertain the true position. Now, sir, I would like to place before your readers the true facts as I remember them. In the first place, when the Restoration question was before the Chamber of Commerce I had intended saying nothing until Mr Marshall made a statement to the following effect—l think these were liis actual words : “That the only true patriots in this country were those behind the Prohibition movement.” He also made a statement about those supporting Restoration being like the man who would go over tp the German lines. These may not be his actual words, but they convey the impression which he gave to me and to a number of others present. To make sure of the position I have had the remarks verified bj’ Mr P. Williams, president, Mr P. E. Branan, vice-presi-dent, Mr E. W. Porritt, life-member and past president, and the following gentlemen who were present at the meeting: Messrs R. S. Carden, D. Brown, W. Bain, F. E. Flatt, W. Fleming, and others. Now, Sir, remarks like those referred to, coming from a man of Mr Marshair's standing, could not be taken sitting down, especially in view of the fact that when the members of the N.Z.E'.F. were asked to vote on the question of Prohibition or Continuance they in-no uncertain manner displayed their true love of Liberty by voting as follows: For Prohibition, 7723 ; for National Continuance, 31,981. Over a four-to-one majority. At a later poll (December 17, 1919), for Prohibition 278, against Prohibition 1466, or over 5 to 1 majority. I ask, sir, were these men who voted against Prohibition, and who had helped to defend their country, not "true patriots” ? I would like to state that I make no practice of bringing the war into my ordinary remarks, but felt, in answering Mr Marshall’s statement, that !• was justified in so doing. I make no effort to defend a drunken man, whether he be soldier or civilian. In my remarks I stated that my experience at the front was "that when it came to fighting the hard case Was always, the best man.? That statement I again repeat, and ask for no quarter for making it. In fact, I will go. further by stating that when one wanted volunteers for any really risky bit of work the hard case was usually selected by most of the officers who had to lead them. The writer of the first letter, signed “Two Years’ Active Service,” was evidently a member of the Forces. The writer of the second letter, sighed “Three Years,” might have served three years anywhere. “Four and a half Years” is evidently an Imperial soldier who served with the “First Hundred Thousand?’ To that body of men I will alwayp lift my hat in honour of their wonderful achievements, because they were prepared to come out in the open and fight like men—and Britishers? The spirit which inspired them has eivdently been lest by the' writer of the letter aimed at me, because he has evidently not the backbone to fight in the open and sign his name. His two friends, who also wrote from well behind shelter, evidently lost the opportunity afforded them to develop backbone and a true British spirit, when they were associated with true men at the front. The object of my remarks at the Chamber meeting was to defend my fellow (soldiers from remarks such as made by Mr Marshall, and also to try and do something to help our town to obtain restoration and place ourselves in a position of equality with bur more fortunate neighbours. This town has been held back by nolicense, and all fair-minded men willingly admit that to be so. EDWIN EDWARDS.