The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1906. MR McNAB AND PROHIBITION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3737, 27 December 1906, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1906. MR McNAB AND PROHIBITION.

At a meeting of the New Zealand Alliance, held on Saturday night, the Hon. R. McNab spoke of the rapid growth of the temperance sentiment in New Zealand. His remarks followed on those ot the Hon. A. Wilmot, president of the South African Temperance Alliance, who asked that New Zealand should co-operate with other countries in endeavouring to have the evil suppressed. According to the N.Z., Times, Mr McNab said that when he first became a candidate for the House in 1893 be was told that it was absurd for a total abstainer to hope to win an election as he could not ‘ ‘ shout ’ ’ for his supporters as other candidates would do. Since those days the community had been educated to the idea of temperance men holding public positions. As for the habit of “ shouting,” he found that when he visited places in his Ministerial capacity there was no dissatisfaction that business could be transacted without a subsequent gathering of men behind the bar to drink and talk things over. Even in districts like the goldfields he had found that it did not in the least prejudice a public man to be an abstainer. With regard to the effect of No-Eicense in Clutha and Mataura, Mr McNab said that his own home had been for years in Clutha and he knew of its success there. He was even more familiar with the position in Mataura, and he assured Mr Wilmot that trade everywhere in the electorate had gained by the carrying of NoEicense. Whatever complaints might be made in other parts of the country the accommodation for the travelling public was better in Mataura to-day than during the days of license. The Minister quoted the remarks of a Southland merchant to show fhat the transaction of business had been greatly facilitated by. the carrying of No-

license. Retail business men, he added, found that whereas they formerly could not settle a bill for even seven and six without spend* iug a shilling in “shouting,” they were now saved this unreasonable demand. Whatever evasions of the law might take place, that was now wiped out of existence. There had not been a very great increase in the No-License vote in Mataura last year, but that did not mean a disapproral of the results. It meant that the question seemed so settled that the people did not trouble to fight it vigorously. It was of interest to note that Mataura had increased in population more than any other part of the South Island.