THE DRINK QUESTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 31

THE DRINK QUESTION.

CONTINGENTERS AND MR G. R, NICHOLLS.

AN APOLOGY DEMANDED. (Faom Orai Own Cobbespondest.) INVERCARGILL, August 20. The publication by Mr G. B. Nicholle,

I in a tecent issue" of the Vanguard of an' r assertion in - connection -with the conj tingent-ers to ,the Boer war and the in-

crease of drinking in New. Zealand has caused considerable indignation locally, amongsfc troopers. Mr NichoDs said : " Thousands of young men came home, then full of •' swagger, and were, of course, made much of by their fellows. These had in rafany cases contracted the , habit; of drinking while in Africa, and each became the centre of a- drinking circle. All this is the inevitable result of war, and it is a heavy price to pay.. Assuming . that 50C0 young- men learned to drink during that time and continued drinking, in this case, as in every other, a fairly large proportion would gradually) become heavy drinkers or drunkards. This alone' would more than explain any failure to knock our drink bill down." Editorial comment was made on this by the Southland/ Times, and numerous letters of protest were written by returned troopers. Mr Nicholls, in an explanation, said inter^alia: — "I never supposed for a moment that more than.' a proportion of those who went to Africa.' 1 became drinkers. The words I used' were : ' These had in many cases con-, tracted the habit of drinking while in Africa.' *I know they did, as my,brother told me. This was not so mucni while on active service as when they, were in towns after and before and on" their return to New Zealand, when beer- \ flowed like water. It was those who v did learn to drink in Africa, or who \ already drank freely before they weni / to Africa, who became the centre on drinking circles. I. know several cases myself also. The excitement of the ' Mafeking Night ' and other occasions was a great starting point for many New Zealand youths starting drinking. Hundreds of young men in Wellington, where I was at thp titne^ had their first drink on Mafeking Night. This was not the fault of the troopers who were at that time in Africa, but of the spirit of war." '

The matter was the subject of a' special meeting of the Southland Returned Troopens' Association held tonight. There were over 20 ex-contin-genters present, and the article in question and Mr Nicholls's explanation wero put before the meeting and exhaustively discussed. The meeting agreed that the words in the Vanguard article would not bear the meaning sought to be placed on it by Mr Nicholls in his explanation, and a resolution was passed that Messrs R. N. Todd, Griffiths, and Vickery be appointed a committee to wait on a solicitor with a view to his writing to Mr Nicholls demanding an unqualifiedapology, and that such apology be published in the leading newspapers of the Dominion and in the Vanguard within fceven days.

The Marlborough (Picton) an<l Southland! Kxecutivcs have nxa<le application for th« allocation of the conduct of next sea--on\ rsew Zealand lowing championships.

An interesting fact was mentioned b^ Bishop Julius at a lecture in Christchurck on Thursday evening— namely, that certain lands granted to the Chapter of St. Pauh's Cathedral in the tenth century were still owned by that body. About 20 year* ago a lease for SS9 years fell in, and was again renewed.

A North Canterbury deputation asked the Hon. D. Buddo to get the railage on flour made the same as that on wheat. The rates are nominally the same per ton, bufc flour goes 22001b, vheat 24361b to the railway's ton. The Minister promised to try, to get that anomaly removed.