CURRENT TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3602, 14 October 1920, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

(By Argus.)

Scotland is in the throes of a Prohibition campaign, and the advocates of Prohibition have imported “Pussyfoot” Johnston to advocate their claims before the public of Scotland. There is not the remotest possibility of Scotland going dry, as the conditions there are entirely different to what they are in New Zealand. For one thing, liquor'is not abused to the same extent as in New Zealand, and the public houses are looked upon as genuine*social resorts by men and women alike. The elimination of some of the drink-shops in the poorer quarters, where the. hardened drinkers merely make a business of drinking, would certainly do no harm; but the licensing system of England and speaking generally, coulu not be improved to any great etxent. The average public-house is fitted with card rooms, pianos, private rooms, tables and chairs, and are extensively used by both men and women, who are not compelled to stand Up to the bar and drink as are the patrons of New Zealand hotels. A mixed party can spend an enjoyable evening in any of the public-houses of Scotland and England, and on account of the attraction of games, music, would not drink as much in four hours as they would in five minutes - in a New Zealand hotel. In New Zealand, the chief business at an hotel is drink- i ing, hut under the English and Scottish laws the social needs of the people are wof?. caterer for. The women of the country will vote as strongly l against Prohibition as the men will do; but the first vote on the question in Scotland will be awaited with interest. It is, highly improbable that the vote for Prohibition will! be sufficiently strong to warrant its advocates going on with the Campaign in future years. There was a belief among a large section of the public, and a hope among a still larger section, that the wharf labourers would solve dhe problem of the price of butter by refusing .to handjle it on the wharves if the price was not less than 2/ per lb. The . public ' b'ow'ever, have been given to understand that the price of butter ' concerns them just as' much as it concerns the wharf labourers, and the latter have clearly indicated that it is not .their intention To act as the scape goats in the matter of the protection of the puEflic. They contend, and rightly so, That if the public want the price of butter reduced they should act on their own initiative and take whatever action they deem necessary, instead of urging one section of the community of workers 1 to strike in the interests of all. The public would lose nothing if the wharf labourers took action, but the wharf labourers would lose their pay, antagonise the farmers, and probably gain nothing after all.

An all night debale, mutual recriminations, and a dogged and persistent stonewall on the Gambling Amendment Bill and no forrarder. The 9 whole debate was a waste of time, and the issue was of no urgent importance to a single individual in this country Hjad the debate been in connection with a real Hive issue like that of the Te Aroha leases —an issue affecting not only the present population of the country but all'posterity as well — there would have been some justification for the obstruction and stonewall. The Taihape Borough Council, when new and fresh after the election, were individually and collectively keen on proving to the' public that they were staunch supporters ' of a housing scheme for Taihape. . They may be; but they have had eighteen months to ge! to work on the realisation of the scheme, ant? nobody has yet derived any benefit or appears likely to do so for some time. The Government building scheme appears to be nothing more nor Hess than a camouflage, and the public will be lucky if those nine houses are built within the next three or four-years. When are we going to see the adoption of a satisfactory scheme for the relief of the housing shortage? The prospects for sheepfarmers are not too bright at present, The wool ■ market is shaky, skins are down, and j the meat market is not at its best. Dairymen are getting in on a good wicket, and the is that dairy- 1 ing land is worth considerably more

.than sheep country on respective productive values. Previously, the values were just about but at present there 5s no equity whatever. What is going to he tTfe “result? If the present difference in the value of products continue, will more sheepfarmers go in for dairying and cause a glut' by over-produclTOn? If less wool and mutton are produced and there is a big supply of huttoj and cheese, the prices of the former wiM eventually rise, and the prices of the latter come down, and there would again be equality of values so far as the land is concerned. Some farmers, however, seem to think that the value

of land is not^ro^TOh its productive capacity, as a good many of them are to-day asking as much for sheep farms as if they were setting dairyingland.