THE CHURCH AND THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2786, 18 September 1924, Page 1

THE CHURCH AND THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

A stirring protest was made on Sunday night in (ho Anglican Church by flic Vicar (the Rev. Walton)

against the attempt being made by the liquor force in New Zealand to license the liquor traffic in the King Country. He said it gives one an idea of the mentality of the liquor men and explains the depths to which they will go in order to foster their trade. We are Britishers, said the speaker, and our word is our bond. The promise has been given to the Maoris and that promise must he kept. Mr Grin stead, the Divisional secretary of the N’.Z. Alliance was then welcomed to the pulpit by the vicar and spoke at some length on the new outlook. During the last few years the whole aspect of the liquor question had changed. Drunkenness used to be counted the great evil of liquor drinking, but to-day the chemists had stocked alcohol and had conclusively proved that druukeu-

i.i ss was only a very small part of the evil that came from alcoholic drinking. Alcohol was undoubtedly a., narcotic and had the effect of des-troying-men mentally and physically and not only of desiroving (hem. but in a very large measure, destroying their offspring. The new outlook' had brought thousands of men and women into the arena who had not before entered. Recent legislation proposed in England had had the support of every Bishop of the English Church with the exception of one. In South Ireland the. second

reading of the Temperance Bill had been passed by a 3 to 1 majority. Scottish liquor men complained that (hey had never had to tight the opposition of the Ministry as they had had to fight it in the lasi licensing poll. The day was coming, said the speaker, when the Church throughout the world would take its stand against this great moral, evil and the reason was not far to seek. The Church worthy of the name stood for the creation and the development in men of the highest moral

.characters and spiritual attainments and it therefore must oppose any social custom that led to the breaking down of that character. But further, the Clmroli stood as 'its Master stood, for the protection of the voting people. By December. 1925. <50,000 of our young men and

women will vote for tlie first, time and the liquor men are using every effort they can to gain that vote and schemes that right thinking men would lie utterly ashamed of. We must see, urged the speaker, that our lads and lassies see where they are going - , they must be warned, nay, they must he guided if need be so. that their vote shall be given in the interests of a cleaner and happier New Zealand. And what of the children? They simply must be protected. We were face to face with the biggest problem that hud evei confronted New Zealand, nawielj, the case of the children of drunken and destitute parents. The Minister for Education in his last report had said the number was enormous, "Take it from me.” said Mr Grinstead, “as a Minister who, for 20 years' or more, lias lived amongst the people, those fathers and mothers are not naturally unkind and when free from the influence of li-

quor, are amongst the most penitent. Shall we not give these mothers of ours a chance? New Zealand no-license districts base .shown beyond all question what happens when the liquor hat's uK’ closed down.” lit conclusion, the speaker made an earnest appeal to those present to enlist early in the tight against strong drink. Ihe victory was certain, come what nut.'. Tim'kingdom of this world will heroine the Kingdom of our Lord ami Christ and lie shall reign for ever. The vicar warmly thanked Mr Grinstead for his address and pronounced the Benedict ion.