WET CANTEENS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1535, 13 April 1916, Page 3

WET CANTEENS.

A deputation representing the War Necessities Committee waited upon the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey) and the Minister for Defence (Hon. J. Allen) at Parliament House yesterday and urged, first, the establishment of wet canteens in military camps, and, second, early closing of hotel bars.

The Hon. James Allen in reply said that as a military authority of nearly thirty years’ experience in regard to the wet canteen, be unhesitatingly said that it would be a great blunder if the wet canteen was introduced into New Zealand. Egypt had no licensing laws and some of the liquor sold there was abominable, and that was the reason why the wet cantoon was established in Egypt, much against General Godley’s wish. It was asked that the hotels should be closed at 7 o’clock, but they were not going to be closed to the troops and not to other people. “I wonder If you realise that you are pressing for something and you might get an evil ten thousand times worse,” continued Mr Allen. Theie were certain places where liquor was sold and where there was a worse evil, which did not exist in the licensed bars. Mr Allen said he thought i? would be a retrograde step to establish the wet canteen and close tffe hotels if it meant the magnifying of the evils that already existed,