“NO PROHIBITION!"

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 822, 16 November 1929, Page 28

“NO PROHIBITION!"

SCANDINAVIA PREFERS TEMPERANCE DRY LAWS DENOUNCED A war against prohibition is a waiter national temperance, said Trofessor Carl Gustaf Santesson. famous I Swedish physician and writer, at the ; recent congress in Stockholm of the i Scandinavian Anti-Prohibition Society. His statement was enthusiastically applauded by the 40 delegates representing Sweden, Norway, Denmark ami Finland, says the Stockholm correspondent of a I'nlted States exchange. Professor Santesson. who presided at the congress, is president ot' the Swedish Association for Temperance Without Prohibition. This society is conducting its propaganda by means of lectures, articles in the Press and the distribution by mail of a booklet entitled 'Liberty and Responsibility." Its activity is particularly directed against any attempts to force prohibition on the people by means of local referendum. It advocates, instead, a sound temperance, based upon the conviction and responsibilitv of the individual. "W e have found." continued Professor Santesson at the congress, that prohibition leads to a change ter the worse in temperance matters ami to a growing disrespect for the law." In Sweden, where all liquors 4an be purchased under the restrictive Government plan, the number ot' arrests for intoxication in IDI’T was less than one-half per I.UOO inhabitants than in 191:}. Since then it has decreased even further. Speaking tor rite Norwegian tielegation, the Rev. Peder Christensen said that tlie church should participate in the war against drunkenness, hut that it must remain neutral when it comes to formulating temperance laws He stressed, however, each individuals V.E* oppose Prohibition, quoting the I,tide on the subject of personal liberty. A picture of the conditions obtaining ill I-inland since prohibition went into effect there was drawn by Major Hultin, of Helsingfors. Despite aii laws ami regulations and the vigi-l.un-e of the police, intoxication is on a steady increase. Statistics show that in 192 S the customs service . seized t.4)00.000 litres of alcohol of **.• pei cent, proof without causing anv , noticeable lack in the supplv The number of arrests for intoxication rose trom -. .000 in 1920 to 101.036 in 1925. The country s prisons are crowded to . c apaetty and 10,000,000 marks have just been granted for the erection of | a new central prison. V 1 . Ebjaniark. where there is no Pi ohibitlon. conditions are inconiparablv better, according to the two Danish delegates. Professor August .Mentz and J. Beskov, former Minister :of Education. Roth speakers reported a satisfactory progress in the work or the Danish Anti-Prohibition Society against any measure tor having prohibition introduced by national referenduxn.