NO-LICENSE AND NATIONAL PROHIBITION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1069, 14 November 1911, Page 3

NO-LICENSE AND NATIONAL PROHIBITION.

ADDRESSES BY UNDERGRA-

DUATES,

Fully four hundred people were present at the Coronation Hall on Sunday night, to listen to addresses on the question of No-Eicense and National Prohibition by Messrs McEldowuey, Union prizeman and D. S. Smith, E-E-B. and Plunked medallist of Victoria College, Wellington. Mr Hornblow occupied the chair and apologised for the unavoidable absence ol Mr HallJones, who had to sit for an important examination. The speakers were representatives ot the Students No-Eiceuse League, which included the most prominent students in the University, and which had the sympathy of such well-known professors as Easterfield, Picken and Kirk. The services ol the speakers were given without lee or reward. Mr McEldowuey, who was received with applause, said they did not believe Prohibition would usher in the millennial, but it would make this a better and happier country to live in and enable our legislators to deal more effectively with other reforms. The other side were endeavouring to underestimate the evils of the drink traffic. That it was a difficult thing to do was shown by the shifts to which the liquor trade is put to bolster up its arguments from bogus and misrepresented authorities. Doctors, judges, scientists, statesmen and reformers are practically unanimous iu their estimate of the drink evil as one of the greatest scourges of to-day. (Applause). He quoted the Eord Chief Justice of England, who stated that 90 per cent, of crime was traceable to trade ; Judge Richmond, one of the ablest judges New Zealand had produced, said drink has been responsible lor 66 per cent, ol the crime ol this country. He quoted figures and authorities which convincingly proved that alcoholic liquors were responsible an- 1 werty, physical and moral aegeneralion. The indictment was sufficient to down any trade but the liquor trade. He referred to the drink traffic as the biggest private monopoly which gave less remuneration to workers and conferred less benefits upon society as a whole than any other monopoly. He quoted Professor Mills’ advice to socialists to strike a blow at the father of monopolies. It was greatly to the advantage of the State that the traffic should cease. (Applause). He dealt with the liberty of the subject and said where the liberty of the iudividval was in general conflict with the general welfare of the State, then that liberty must be curtailed. Every right had a corresponding duty. All tradesmen conferred an essential benefit upon the community, but what right had the liquor trade to fill gaols and asylums, and to taint future generations —it had no right to existence. (Applause). Every effort had been made to regulate the traffic and he gave instances, but it had failed. State control was no solution of the difficulty but an aggravation. The only other alternative was Prohibition. We have sufficient evidence iu New Zealand, said the speaker, to convince us that Prohibition is the effective solution. The Eiquor Party says that there is an increase in the consumption of liquor as the No-Eicense votes increase, therefore No-Eiceuse augments the drink consumption. But this is not so of No-Eiceuse areas. He quoted figures showing the decrease both in liquor and crime iu No-Eiceuac ulcuj. Only one resident of Balclutua had been arrested for drunkenness since 1906. In the eight No-Eicense electorates there is a population of 125,000 and the convictions for drunkenness were 167, while Taihape under license and with a population ol only 1,500, had 148 convictions. He concluded by making a stirring appeal to those present to vote for the abolition of the traffic.

Mr Smith dealt with the conditions of success if prohibition were carried ; these conditions weie a favourable public opinion, an honest and competent executive aud police. . He dealt with the liquor “fakes” in connection with Maine, and was roundly applauded for his exposure of certain advertisements published by the Trade in the newspapers in this connection. He said in spite of the cable stating that Maine had not gone back on prohibition, the trade were misleading people by stating that it had. He said it is marvellous that so much had been accomplished by the Prohibition Party in Maine, where sly-grog cases are tried by a jury, which may or may uot be sympathetic, and where judges are elected by the people. Maine was close to States where license obtains ana liquor is rite. Under such conditions it is difficult to administer the law. Yet, wherever the law has been properly enforced in Mainetheresults have been wonderful. He quoted the ~d ministration of Sheriff Samuel F'. Pearson in this connection. He dealt with the statements reported to have been made by a Mrs Nelson aud published by the trade, aud proved how ridiculous they were. Contrasting New Zealand with Maine he pointed out that here we have no judicial corruption, our judges aud magistrates are uot elected by the people, our police are honest and competent. Everything here is in favour of National Prohibition, and all that is needed is to open people’s eyes to the facts to make them see the advantages of it. The speaker then dealt with the trade advertisements, touching Mastertou aud

I Invercargill, and convincingly | proved these to be misleading and ! untrue. What did the drink traffic give in return lor the six millions expenditure ? said the speaker. It made a man feel happy and convivial within himself for a short time, which was not much in return lor such a huge sum. It made the worker less efficient and unreliable ; it gave legitimate employment to about 3000 persons. We received in revenue irom the traffic £,'805,000 or 16s per head of tiie population lor that which we paid, wholesale alone, ,£3,800,000 or ,£3 13s per head ; retail we paid £,6,000,000 or £6 per head ol the population—deduct your 16s per head revenue from this and we are to the bad by £,’s 4s per head. (Applause). Tne small loss in revenue could easily be made up if Prohibition were carried, by extra purchasing power by the people in other more reproductive channels. It has been proved in Ashburton, Clutha and Invercargill that the abolition of the bar traffic has not resulted in increasing the rates. Prohibition would result in less expenditure on gaols, asylums and charitable institutions. The traffic, concluded the speaker, contributed nothing to the true enjoyment of associated life, nothing to national efficiency, alcoholic liquors was harmful to the overwhelming majority of consumers ; “you. take six millions every year from the pockets of the men and women of this country to keep you alive, you prevent that six millions from being used iu more reproductive and beneficial ways ; you have at your feet the blighted lives ol young men who are treading the way to the drunkard’s grave ; you are the cause of three-lilths of the crime and a great part of the poverty and lunacy of our laud and we think you’re too dear at any price. As an enlightened democracy we have the power to vote you out of our own district and the whole Dominion, and that’s what we are going to do at the coming election on 7th December next, by striking out the top line on both ballot papers.” The speaker resumed his seat amidst loud and continued applause. No questions were asked and on the motion of the Rev. Mr Aitken the students were accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The Chairman made an appeal for funds in order to carry on the campaign, and one gentleman promised a donation ot live pounds and several smaller sums were promised by others.