THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1959, 1 April 1919, Page 2

THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

ADDRESS BY MR. BAYLEY. J There was a fairly good attendance in the Town Mall on Sunday* night when Mr W. 1). Bayley, of Canada, delivered an address on the Prohibition Question. Ilornblow presided, and in ing the speaker said that .Mr Bayley was one of the leaders of the Labour Parly in Canada, and he read a, letter from the General Secretary of the Canadian Labour Parly to the Workers of New Zealand to this offer (. Mr Bayley, who was received with applause, dealt exhaustively with, objections raised by opponents of prohibition, and gave instances of the success of prohibition in Canada. The success in Canada had been so great that large numbers of people who previously opposed it were now staunch advocates of prohibition. The speaker said that he had communicated with the leading politicians, professors, medical men and prominent business men geumv ally throughout the Dominion or Canada, asking for their candid opinion on (he question, and had received hundreds of replies. For every one of these that expressed any doubt whatever as to the success of phohibition, ten voiced their very pronounced opinions that prohibition had been a great success from every point of view. A great many people, said Mr Bayley, appeared to be somewhat frightened of the ‘‘revenue'’ bogey raised by supporters of the liquor traffic. The position at present that New Zealand's annual drink bill totalled roughly £5,000,000 per annum, and the amount of revenue from the Trade was approximately £1,000,000. By these figures it would he seen Urn I the public spent £5 in order to get £1 in revenue., Cnder prohibition this £5.000.000 annually would he spent in oilier channels, and the revenue wouiq benefit by increased customs and other taxes on the goods that the money was expended on. It was an indisputable fact that since prohibition had been in operation in Canada the conditions miderowhieh workers lived had improved greatly. There were instances in every town where the liquor-trade was carried on of children having (o go barefooted, the*home being neglected, and in many instances (he children having to go hungry, through the earnings of (he home, or at least poll ion of them, being spent in drink. The payment of four mid ahalf millions compensation to |iu; ’! rude was being magnified by supporters of the Trade as an enormous thing that (lie country could not afford, Imt it was not such a big thing as they would try to make out. the payment of one penny per per head of the population would in ‘2O years provide sufficient to pay off (lie amonnft with interest.

Dealing wilh the alleged medieiliiil value of intoxicants, Mr Baylev •■'.•lid tliiit Or 1 medical profession of (a na da were ;i lmos( unanimous flnil alcohol ]i:id practically no" medicinal value. Even (hose medical men who favoured alcoliol as a, stimulant were agreed (hat as such, it was useless (o (hose who had used it as a beverage. But if it was useful as a medicine it should he dispensed in the same maimer as oilier medicines.

Dealing with the question of personal liberty, Ihe speaker said that where the liberty of: the individual, was at variance with (he interests, of the community, then the liberty of that individual must he curtailed, They had only to look at (he laws on the Statute Book to convince them that this was the principle adopted in all democratic countries. There were only three ways to deal with the Liquor Tratlic, Either allow the manufacture and distribution to be carried on freely by any who so desired to do so, or license, the trade and make (hose conducting it adhere to regulations as to hours, premises, etc., or wipe it out 'altogether. Everyone was agreed that to give all the right to sell liquor was unthinkable; the licensing of file trade had been tried, and the results were not satisfactory; them was only one other thing (o ln> done, and that was to wipe it out altogether. Some people favoured Slate Control, and used as an argument in favour of it that one of (ho planks ol the Socialists was State Ownership. Mr Bayley said that the Socialists stood for public owner-, ship of (he means of life, hut nothing was said about the means of death, and (hat was the eategorv the drink traffic should he placed in. In conclusion, Mr Bayley said that, speaking as a Labour man, he would urge the workers (o vote he li( H".r (rathe out, and to do all in (heir power to persuade others to vole for prohibition. Liquor was an enemy of Labour and Trades Unionjsiii, and they had had ample pioof in Canada (hat prohibition had been ol great assistance to the , Labour movement. I lie speaker was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for his interesting address. A vote of thanks to the chair eon- v eluded the meeting.