The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1877.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 30, 31 January 1877, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1877.

The vexed question of restrictive legislation as a cure for intemperance is said by some to have been decided m the negative where it has been put to the test of experiment — namely, m America. In the country the Maine Liquor Law generally answers the end m view, we are told, but m the towns it proves a failure ; the explanation of which phenomenon, we conceive to be that m the country, where everyone knows everyone and takes an interest m everyone's affairs, illicit distillation and sly grog-selling cannot long be carried on with impunity, while m large towns, where the opportunities of concealment are very much greater, the law is habitually set at defiance, and the law-breakers escape detection. However, as the accuracy of this representation of the facts has been disputed, and we have no means of verifying it, the success or failure of the Maine experiment shall remain an open question so far as we are concerned. Whatever the truth may be as regards this point, one thing is beyond dispute — namely, that no prohibitive legislation can eradicate the tastes and propensities engendered by habits of drinking; and, therefore, unless we can manage to attack those tastes, they are very likely to find means of gratifying themselves m spite of law and law-makers. Sir Wilfrid Lawson's Bill, as explained by Mr. Pox, aims a,t deciding the question of public houses or no public houses by a majority of twothirds of the ratepayers, the poll taking place tx'iennially. But we ask is this all that is to be done : — are we to rest content with shutting up the breweries, distilleries, and public houses, and to consider our work done when this object is attained? Because, m our opinion, the work begins then, that is, the positive part of it — the work of finding some other attraction to supply the place of the public house, which, with all its faults, and notwithstanding all the denunciations that have been hurled at ifc, supplies an undeniable want m human nature after a fashion — not a very good fashion, but the best going m many places. Look around you m this district, for instance, and ask yourself what would

be the immediate consequence of closing all the public houses ? The answer is an utter privation of everything m the sliape of amusement. Billiards, cards, and grog are dangerous amusements, no doubt, but still they are amusements, and there are thousands of person^ here and elsewhere who have no other amusements. Now, if you deprive these persons of such pastimes as are within their reach, you must give them others instead else the last state will be worse than the first. Wherever the popular intellect is active amusement is an imperative necessity, and where there is no craving for amusement intellect is m a state of stagnation and men differ but little from cattle. Intellectual activity engenders this craving ; and as such activity is a necessity here, or at least, a thing which the peculiar conditions of Colonial life can hardly fail to produce ; and as, m any case, it is desirable that there should be such activity ; it follows that the very first step to be taken m the way of promoting tempex*ance is to supply the people with some less objectionable kind of amusement than that obtainable at the public house. Yet this is the very step which our Teetotal friends seem slow to take, and we cannot but think that if the energy expended by them on other less important objects had been directed to this, the temperance movement would nave borne more and better fruit than it has actually produced. What we suggest could hardly have been done when Father Matthew originated the Teetotal movement, because then the wealthier classes did not understand, or.understanding did not perform, their duty towards the masses m this matter. But there has been a great improvement m this respect since that time, and now there vrould be little difficulty m inducing the educated wealthy to join m a movement for providing gratuitous amusements of a popular character. Isolated and desultory attempts m this direction have been made from time to time ; but they have hitherto lacked that persistence which arises from systematised effort, and which they will never acquire until some persons or class of persons make it a regular part of their duty to take thelead in them. Here, then, is work for the Temperance Societies — work more important than electioneering and agitating for restrictive legislation. Free theatres, musical and dramatic clubs, free reading-rooms whemchess and whist might divide the time with literature light and solid — such institutions as these, planted wherever there is a possibility of their taking root, would go farther towards reforming the drinking habits of a large portion of the population than all the permissive Bills that wijl ever be devised. The latter only cut the tops off the weed, the former destroy the root by creating higher tastes which produce more refined habits.