DRINK AND DRUGS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 921, 22 November 1910, Page 2

DRINK AND DRUGS.

REMARKS BY CHIEF JUSTICE.

In a denunciation of the drug habit at the Central Mission Men’s Brotherhood meeting at Wellington on Sunday, Sir Robert Stout classified as in the same category the use of alcohol and smoking. He cited many eminent authorities in support of his contention that alcohol is almost invariably deleterious in its effect —that only in very rare cases of exceedingly rare disease is its use of benefit to humanity. There was much talk in this country about the five million loan, but our people wasted annually three millions on drink. In England, thousands of people were homeless and in want during the winter months, but the country expended 140 millions of money annually in liquor alone. What, the speaker asked, must be the effect of this enormous expenditure of money on things that lowered the physical strength of the people ? In the course oi his remarks on liquor, Sir Robert quoted the following resolution of the Philosophical Society of Eondou, a body composed, he said, mainly of doctors and medical students, not by any means a temperance society; — “ That in the opinion of this society, alcohol is of no use to healthy people, and of little use to sick persons.” The use of alcohol, the speaker continued, was fatal to the mental alertness of a race. The race that always succeeded was the race that bad brains. What had enabled Germany to get into such a fore-front position in the world to-day ? In the early part of last century no nation in the world was in so poor a state as Germany. She had been overrun by Napoleon, and was sunk in misery and debt. The first thing her statesmen did was to establish a new university at Berlin, and schools throughout the Empire. At the same time land was cut up, and land banks established, with a view to creating a flourishing peasantry. These things had made Germany what she was to-day. The modern advancement of Japan was due to the fact that the very best education possible was given to her people. The advancement of Scotland, and the fact that Scotchmen occupied distinguished positions all over the world, was due in great measure to the establishment by John Knox of universities and of schools throughout the country.