An Ex-Lady Councillor at Helensville.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 29 November 1911, Page 3

An Ex-Lady Councillor at Helensville.

In spite of tlie inclement weather a , large and appreciative audience assembled in the Forester's Hall on Thursday last to hear Mrs Helen Barton, Ex-councillor of tlie Parish Council of Glasgow. Mrs Barton has had • a unique experience as a Social Ee- . former. She occupied a seat on the • Council for 9 years. In connection with her work she has had a great insight 'into the causes ot Poveity. Every problem she sought to solve in connection with the cause of poverty am? distress proved rhat the liquor ' was the prime factor in its production. General lan Hamilton, said the speaker, once declared that those en- ; gaged.in. the war against alcohol were ■ '' rendering a greater service to their | country than those who by war added new territory to $ur country. The Liquor Traffic is a corrupter, It'eorrupts politics. It corrupts our newspapers. It is almost as bad as Tammany. It is disgraceful that here in Progressive New Zealand a large number of our newspapers refuse tc publish information about No-iicense unless it is paid for by the inch. I have been through the No^license districts, said Mrs Barton, and gathered information first-hand, No»license is a magnificent success. Mrs Barton dealt with one of the Brewers advertisements which declare that No-license would mean incieased taxation. This is not true, warmly " declared the lectuier, the experience of the No~lieerj.se districts is that tax- , ation is a educed instead of increased. Liberty of the subject was the next question dealt with. One nisrht I was donducting an open-air meeting. A man was swinging a bottle of beer in the air ; I asked him to put the bottle away. He put it in his pocket; some- ' body stole it. The man was annoyed, '~v;r~V but a few words quitened him, and at -the end of the meeting he stood up an' 4 appealed .to those present to strike ' ojjj^e Top Line. .~. -■ of the Liberty. "Why I everybody's liberty is mteifered with • in a country that is civilised. When the plague was prevalent in Auckland they pulled down 20 houses to safeguard people from death. The peo•nla who owned the houses might profb.ut it did not matter. In the in;of public safety these houses removed.M^ " The meeting close:! with a vote of - thanks to the speaker for her excellent address.