PROHIBITION IN CLUTHA.

Motueka Star, Volume IV, Issue 185, 29 May 1903, Page 4

PROHIBITION IN CLUTHA.

During his three weeds', absence in the South Island, travelling over the Otago Central Railway with the Oan terbury and Otago members of Parliament, Mr A, L. D. Fraser, M.H.R. for Napier, had personal experience of the working of the prohibition laws in regard to the sale of liquor. Speaking* to a correspondent of the New Zealand Times, Mr Fraser said : ''The prohibited area of Olago is now extensive, but it will be still greater after some of the new Licensing ComWe stayed at Balclutha for a time, arid toon tne opportunity of "calling upon some prominent people in order tq make inquiries. After hearing different opinions, it is very clear that Clutha will remain a prohibited district for many years. This, at least, was the consensus of opinion of those to whom I spoke. "The grounds advanced for this view were—(l) You will always have prohibitionists there, for they are now very strong in Clutha, and they 'will vote for its continuance ; (2) the sly grogseller, whose name is legion, will always vote for prohibition ; (3] . the people' after several years' experience in living in a prohibition district, have become used to in their own houses, and, therefore, do not want any hotels. "The latter practice, to my mind, is the greatest curse we have to contend with in prohibited districts, for liquor is now being taken into private houses where it was never known before. It is obvious that this must be a teinpta tion to many young people who are growing up who might not otherwise be tempted. It seems to me that unless it wrre made a criminal offence for any liquor to pass the borderline of a district where prohibition has been carried, prohibition will never have the elevating influence that is claimed for it. The Cabinet has decided that, where prohibition has been carried, club efaai - ters shall be cancelled, and that in those districts no railway refreshment contract shall be renewed at the ex piration of the contract ; but of course otherwise the prohibition of liquor in the restricted areas must be a failure more or less. During my visit to Central Otago I had some interesting conversations on that subject with Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., and it was pleasing to find the very much broader view that he takes of the liquor question after his visit to other lands. The Mayor of Balclutha, an ex-pub lican, told me that prohibition there had come to stay, and the conditions existing apparently seem to bear out this view.