The Rev. L M. Isitt.

Manawatu Herald, 7 October 1899, Page 2

The Rev. L M. Isitt.

Last night the Rev. Leonard M. Isitt addressed a public meeting at the Public Hall on " Prohibition." The reverend gentleman had addressed two meetings in Palmerston on Wednesday and Thursday, at which there were large attendances. From a private letter just received from there we learn that he is declared to be certainly the best of prohibition speakers heard there, and the most tolerant. The hall was fairly well filled, and the Mayor occupied the chair. Mr Isitt, on rising, referred to this being his first visit to this town, and the pleasure he had in coming here. In speaking on the drink question he mentioned the marvellous strides drinking had made in the Old Country, whereas 40 years ago the only women ever seen in the bars were those of the lowest cast, now it was a frequent thing to see respectable women, wives of Merchanics and the labouring classes in the public houses. A great deal had been said about the liberty of the subject, but as a fact everyone was restricted in some way. He instanced the fact of there being four public houses in Foxton for a population of 1,200 and suggested the strain there must be on the incomes of the workers to keep them going. The fact that extra police protection was required, that applications had been made for a constable from Palmerston for Saturday to Monday, proved how much drinking was going on, as what was the extra constable required for ? to keep three parsons in order? He travelled the other day from Wellington to Wanganui io a railway carriage with wbat might be termed superior people, and in discussing the prohibition question one said he only drank in moderation, another said the same thing, and they declared that the pro-

bibitiinists desired to rob the moderate drinkers of their liberty. Liberty was a misnomer, as no one had perfect liberty, to illustrate which he gave many instances and one was very much to the point. " Suppose," he said, " I purchased a section of land in this town, and erected a shop and stocked it with kerosene and gun* powder the Borough authorities would soon make me stop doing that, thus where's my liberty ?" The speaker occupied about an hour in his address, and the audience seemed surprised when he had concluded. One remark he made caused much amugement when he drew attention to how Itery 1 religious publicans became at election time, quoting scripture in their favour, but unfortunately this only occurred once in every three years. He also gave a few verses from a poet which he suggested would have been more applicable for the publicans to quote than one particular line they had usedjp" very frequently of late. The Rev. L. M. Isitt addresses a meeting to-night, and again to-morrow night in the same hall.