ASHBURTON AND NO-LICENSE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43388, 22 October 1908, Page 3

ASHBURTON AND NO-LICENSE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, - A few more facts to disprove the liquor party’s statements in the Auckland "Weekly News and other papers. At the monthly meeting of the Ashburton Hospital Committee, held on 6th March, 1908, the Secretary reported that the sum of £330 had been paid by way of fees since A pril let, 1907. This was the highest sum that had been paid, in the time specified, in the history of the Hospital. Such a fact speaks for itself. On the 31st March, 1900. there were in Ashburton, 100 subscribers to the Telephone Exchange. In 1902 there were 107; in 1904, 118; in 1906. 138; in 1907, 161 and in 1908 there were 197. During the years 1904 and 1905 new lines consisting of about 125 miles of wire were constructed in the Electorate. The Ashburton Gas Company’s year ends on September 30th. For the year 1901-2 the consumption of gas was 5,579,600 ft; 1902 4,7,795,600 ft; 1904-5, 8,251,800 ft. During 1905-6 one firm whose engine was supplied by the town gas discontinued its use, having installed a suction gas plant. For that year the figures were 7,757,000. For the nine months ending June 30ib, 1908, the consumption was 6,314,000 ft and should the same average continue this lyear’s output will reach the record total of 8,413,660 ft. Tested by the New Zealand Government Post Office Savings Bank returns the results arc as follows :—l9Ol-2, under license, accounts opened 483; accounts closed, 138. Deposits, £33,887; withdrawals, £21,738. 1902-3, under license, 486,228, £37,163; £27,277. 1904-5, under No-Lieenre, 570,260, £40,568, £36,244. 1906-7, 549,243, £50,167, £33,061. 1907-8, 515,250, £55,426, £39,062. We commend these figures to the consideration of all business people, farmers, and working men. If they are true (and they arc given on official authority) then can it be truthfully stated that from the business point of view No-License in Ashburton is a failure ? (Some of us are "wondering how admirers of the Salvation Arm} 1, regard the action of the “ tiade,’’in placing in the centre of a page, surrounded by misleading and untruthful statements in support of license, the portrait of General Booth, who once wrote “ The drink difficulty lies at the root of everything Nine-tenths of our poverty, squalor, vice and crime spring from this poisonous teapot. Many of our social evils, which overshadow the land, would dwindle away and die if they were not constantly watered with strong drink.” -I am, etc. No-License. October 20, 1908.

[To the Editor.] Sir,-—ln Saturday’s issue of your paper I noticed a letter signed J. Squirrell, evidently J. Squirrell’s bump of aggressiveness is equal to his bump of selfesteem. He takes up the cudgels on behalf of the poor “ persecuted ” individuals who are so industriously inclined that they find it difficult to do a loaf for a whole day—think of that now—and who do not think the Almighty is angry if they raise a flower or prune a tree, just for the good of their health you know. I myself, says J. Squirrell, often do a little gardening on a Sunday as I think it promotes the health of body and mind. Oh, busy Squirrell, are you thinking of your health or of adding to your hoard of nuts ! Are there not other ways of spending your Sabbath. Have you forgotten that in six days the Lord made Heaven and earth and rested on the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it. Oh ! industrious Squirrel], can you not spare one day to rest, to follow the Great Example ? Is your mind so diseased that you must prune your trees on Sunday to promote its health. If circumstances compel you to get up at five o’clock on Sunday mornings and afterwards take milk to the factory, could you not sparerthe rest of God’s day to keep His commandments, “ Six day’s sbalt thou labour and do all thy work, but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and in it thou shalt do no manner of work.” Would-be-funny little Squirrell does your poor diseased mind really believe that because a man does not work in his garden on Sunday it follows that he lies in bed “ for the honour and glory of God ” as you so profanely put it. You should try and remember Ithat God’s name should be mentioned not flippantly but with reverence, and remember that there is no need to suppose that the man who does not work in his garden on Sunday has nothing else to do but pry into his neighbours back gardens. It is more than probable that he is on his way to attend Divine service when he notices the

poor persecuted gardeners at work in i their dungaries; for these men who work in their gardens on Sunday do not rise in time to catch the early worm. Sunday workers, as a rule, are in the habit of Sitting up late. Some of them gaze too long on the wine when it is red, and others are fond of playing with cue and ball, and fingering bits of cardb ard, so that the sun is well up when they begin to hoe their cabb lges, and they are well under the public eye, and there is no need to pry. Passers-by must see these industriously inclined non-loafers working for the good of their health, and to produce something useful, unless the said

passers-by are blind or close their eyes. The busy Squirrell says that one man had the courage to claim the right to do a little Sunday gardening’for the sake of his health, and unlike the other bigned his name like a man. ‘‘Well there are many sorts of men,” still I think the majority sign their names like men and not like monkeys. Sometimes it it wiser to adopt a nome de plume to prevent the writer from being overwhelmed by the praises of admiring friends. The iuquisitive Squirrell asks if the nameless one ever eats Factory butter? We cannot say little quirrell, but we know that we do not touch it ourselves, and our chief reason for not eating it is because we have seen some of the milk

suppliers at work m the milking ebeds, and. enough said Of course we all know and some of us deplore the fact that many things besides factory "nutter ere made by Sunday labour, and. oh, the pity of it. J. Squirrell has delivered himself, and his opinions will doubtless carry great weight. We may now expect to see a boom in Sunday gardening. ‘ The industriously inclined non loafers-for-a-whole-day, ” will dig about their potatoes and sprinkle lime on their cabbage and lettuce, and pump arsenate of lead over the festive codlin moth, and weed the onions, and carrots “ besides producing something us ful ” and their great little unheathly minds will be quite at ease because “ they don’t think the Almighty is angry with them,” for working to “ promote the health of mind and body.” Take care dear Squirrell if you prune too much on Sundays you will get a crank in your back and ycu will grow just like a withered, sour, j crab-apple. We all know now, that you j work on Sundays and that you are ( proud of your smartness in making new I

laws to suit yourself, and ignoring the Divine Commands to keep holy the Sabbath day and in it do no manner of work. Weallknow thatvour sympathies are with the “ non-loafers-for-a-whole-day ” who brazenly attire themselves in moleskin, and dig and hoe in their gardens facing the public streets, while the church bells are ringing, and men, and women and childern passing. We all know that J. Squirrell believes “ in a little Sunday gardening ” but we earnestly irupbre him not to boast about it for indeed, it is nothing to be proud of, J. Squirrell signs his name like a—man tho’ he is a Squirrell, and I beg to sign myself as another “ Respfctor of the Sabbath