STOPPING THE DRINK.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1371, 20 October 1883, Page 1

STOPPING THE DRINK.

(N.Z. Times.) “From information received,” as the police are ant to eay, we have reason to be« licve that Wellington is suffering from a fit of teetotalism, superinduced by Salvation Army conversions. The evidence is various, though miatakeable. It is to be found partly in State statistics, partly in daily observation of people’s ways, and (“tell it not in Gath ”) partly in bankruptcy records. An inquisitive reporter on our staff has been in. quiring into tho origin of things, and got converted to a belief in the efficacy of moral suasion to abate if not abolish the drinking customs of society. It is not only in Wellington that publicans and brewers complain, for the same dismal story comes from * ‘ the trade ” in Dunedin, in Christchurch, and In Auckland. The smaller centres of popula* tion can doubtless add their several affidavits to the same effect. The Canterbury Journal of Commerce says :—“The number of publicans who have lately become bankrupt is exciting general comment.” The “general comment*’ appears to be general to the whole colony, and apparently indicates a common cause. What is the cause? Major Atkinson has stated that the working classes have been more fully employed throughout the colony during the past winter than during any winter tor ten years past. Wages have, therefore, been in regular circulation, and have been spent apparently in the customary channels, excepting this one item of decreased consumption of drink. Trade depression may account for some reduction in drinking, though this distinction should be observed, that if trade depression lately has meant excessive stocks of merchandise on hand, and reduced values to effect a quittance, it will logically follow that this peculiar state of the cannot account for a large decrease in the consumption of liquor, because reduced values of general merchandise should be directly beneficial to the working classes, inert a»ing their spending power. There remain two other presumptive causes of decreased drinking, namely, the Blue Ribbon movement and the Salva, tion Army campaign. How much of the change is due to either, or how much to both, cannot be stated with precision ; but this broad conuetHion may be made, that Salvation services and Blue Ribbon preaching have together reduced the “ takings ” of numerous hotels, and sent many publicane into bankruptcy,