EARLY CLOSING AGITATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1516, 29 February 1916, Page 2

EARLY CLOSING AGITATION.

There are agitations afoot in the different centres of the Dominion to bring pressure to bear on the Government to introduce early closing of hotel bars at 6 or 7 p.m. At a meeting ot representative women in Wellington last week the following motion was carried : “That this meeting is unanimously in favour of the closing of all hotel and club bars to the sale of spirituous liquors from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. throughout the Wellington Military District for the duration of the war.” A further resolution was carried that wet canteens be established in all military camps, thereby placing the control of liquor selling in the hands of the military authorities. At Christchurch similar meetings have been held and the agitation for early closing appears to be spreading and already deputations and counter deputations have waited upon the Defence Minister. The Licensed Victuallers Association object “to a certain portion of the community making use of the war in order to advance the claims of prohibition and penalise hotelkeepers.” The Minister has informed the Licensed Victuallers that the subject Is one for the Government to deal with. Certain regulations, such as no* liquor on troop trains, had already been imposed. The question tor the Government was whether further war regulations would be imposed in this direction. In the meantime he asked the Licensed Vic-

tuallers to help the Defence authorities by protecting both recruits and soldiers from their own weakness. If the strong feeling that had grown up in the community continued to grow, and a licensing poll was held, he did not know what would happen. He asked the Licensed Victuallers to act in their own interests as well as the interests of young men who joined the Forces. The question of treating or “shouting” will also be considered by Cabinet. In this connection if Cabinet is going to act, such prohibition should be made to apply generally and not particularly to soldiers. The point is that the public should be made to recognise that the nation is engaged in a great war and anything that tends to militate against success should be stamped out. Our allies have led the way and made great sacrifices to remove the drink evil. England, Canada and Australia have passed restrictive legis lation and the time has arrived for New Zealand to come into line without treating our soldiers as children. Whatever action is taken should be of a general character.