Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 18, 1917. GOVERNMENT SEVERELY CRITICISED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1731, 18 September 1917, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 18, 1917. GOVERNMENT SEVERELY CRITICISED.

SPEAKING a I (he piddle meeting In the Wellington Town Hall on Sunday ('veiling, the Rev. Dr. Gihh severely criticised (he Government in respect to (lit l amending legislation proposed in connection with early closing of ]i((Uor liars. He said the meeting was not one to argue the <iueslion of prohibition nor (>ven to discuss the merits of (i o’clock ('losing. They were gathered together to express indignation at (he action of the Government, Avhich had betrayed the people of New Zealand. The indignation was none I lie less, because it was not imcxpeejed. They knew, or at any rale he knew, that no great moral decision could be expected from “(bis pitiful Government.'" They arraigned the Government for its moral density, and Mr Massey and bis colleagues in the Cabinet would have to learn that (here was a point beyond v.ldyll they could not go on fooling the people of Ibis laud. Continuing, Dr. Gibb drew a vivid picture of (lie shield with a picture on cacti side —on one side they were faced with the horrors of (ho war past and to come, and on the other with the hideous drink traffic; a damning evil in these days particularly, But’ what cared the Government of Now Zealand? They would not he persuaded, oven if some one vo.-m from the dead and fold them. They arraigned the Government for moral turpitude and also for its mental ineptitude. All the Allied nations had moved in the matter of restriction, but not so “this great Cabinet” in New Zealand. The Government could well lie described as the people in the Scriptures; “Eyes have they, hut they see not; ears have they, but they hear not." God save us from such dullards. Of higher patriotism the Government of New Zealand seemed to know nothing, and was plso lacking in what might he called the lower pairio/ism. Did the Government want the war Iq end? They had been , fold over and over again by Mr Lloyd George and: .others that drink was their greatest .enemy. Perhaps the Government

should not bo blamed Cor this and many other things they did not know, but they did know what their own Etlicieney Board had told them. Although the Government shouted itself hoarse it was not, and never would be, patriotic. The Government should also be arraigned for its eynieal disregard of the opinion of (he majority of the people of the eountry—an almost universal-de-mand for (i o’eloek closing.