Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News TUESDAY, JULY 6,1909. “LOCAL OPTION RESULTS.”

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4432, 6 July 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News

TUESDAY, JULY 6,1909. “LOCAL OPTION RESULTS.”

This above all—to thine oton self be true, ind \t must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

Under the above title or heading otr contemporary, the Te Aroha “ Mail ” published a sub-leader in its issue on Ist instant. It surprised and disappointed the community. We are at a loss to understand how it could shed such crocodile tears over the closed houses when it actually admitted that: “It is quite likely that many of the houses closed were unnecessary, or unsuitable, or even worse. . . Our readers will notice that our contemporary does not say that merely some, but “ many of the houses ” etc, etc. How many, “ deponent sayeth not.'’ Perhaps he would have blushed to the roots of his hair to have admitt id the exact number. The curious thing is that he considers all of the owners entitled to compensation, even for the many “ unnecessary, unsuitable, or even worse ” houses. The “ Mail ” does not say a word about compensation to those men whose health and fortunes have been ruined in the public houses. There is not the sign of an expression of sympathy for the broken hearted wives and the destitute, uncared for children, whose husbands and fathers were ruined in the hotels that have been closed. Our contemporary knew perfectly well that possibly many happy homes were shattered, many once valuable lives sacrificed, and inexpressible sorrow and misery caused to innocent women and children through excessive drinking in the hotels, but he could not spare a word of pity for the victims; his only concern was for the owners who, throughout the whole Dominion, lost “ £350,000.” We are very sceptical about their loss. He makes us so, because he says : “ The closing of a few hotels cannot make much differ • , ence in the amount of liquor consumed in the country.” If they do not lose on the liquor, they lose very little on the properties. Even if they did lose £350,000, what is such a loss compared to the loss of human life, domestic happiness, character, health, and all prospects in life for women and children ? There is too much worship of the Golden Calf, too much pandering to money, and too little regard for human life and men’s health and reputation. Compensation ! Yes, compensate those who once had comfortable homes, good prospects, and “ nest eggs ” in the Savings Banks and Building Societies until they were ruined in some of the “ unnecessary, unsuitable, or even worse ” hotels. If there has been a loss entailed upon brewers and publicans we are sorry. Far be it from us to gloat over anyones losses ; but we contend ithat if they had lost ten times £350,000 their loss would not equal, or even approach a tithe of the dreadful losses entailed upon men, women, and children. What money worth would our contemporary put upon the souls plunged into an endless and, perhaps, hopeless eternity, while drunk ? What money estimate would be put upon the living wrecks that now are burdens upon the community or industrious wives whom once they defended and provided for until they gave way to intemperance in many of the “ unnecessary, or unsuitable, or even worse ” public houses ? What money price could prove adequa‘e to compensate the loss which children of drunkards have sustained because their fathers could not give them propor food, clothing, education, and care in consequence of drink ? Compensation ? yes, compensation to the innocent and the greatest sufferers. The landlords can turn their properties to other uses, the publicans can turn their hands to a dozen different things for an honest living, and they may soon recover their position and perhaps do better than they did before ; but how can the human wrecks reooyer their posi-. tion—their wasted fortune?, lost health, employment, dethroned reason and reputation ? How can the struggling mothers and deserted children recover their once—happy homes ?

To say, as our contemporary does that the closing of the hotels “ with* out compensation cannot be justified on economic, any more than it can upon the grounds of morality,” is to my what cannot be logically maintained. The owners and publicans have enjoyed a monopoly of a profitable trade, made a lot of money, and they knew when they embarkpd in that trade that the licenses wore only for a year. They know that the licenses would expire at the end of a year and might not be renewed, and they also know that local option might do the vory thing that it has done and was intended to do. The people acquired the legal right to say they would uot bnvP> intoxicants sold in

hotelsin their districts, and the peoj les’ will must prevail. Of la e years publicans and the trade lave tcei preparing for what has happened and thus they have minimised t ieir losses The victims of intempeiance cannot be so fortunate.

The Taylor - Carrington Humanised Pictures in the Public Hall to-n gut. Trespassers are warned off the Annan dale Estate. Poison laid ioi dogs. Tenders aie invited for cutting about 30 acres of ti-tree at Anuandale. Intending contractors will be shown the work on Thursday morning at 10 a.tn.

Arrangements are well in hand for St. Mark’s Choir Social, to be held in the Public Hall on Thursday, July 15. Yariouß boarding-houses at Rotorua have intimations in this issue, to which we draw the attention of a?l concerned.

Owing to the boisterous weather on Saturday last, Messrs Mackie and Sons were compelled to postpone their auction sale until Thursday next, July Sth. The Oamaru Mail states that a deadlock has arisen between southern shippers of potatoes and northern buyers, and practically no potatoes are being forwarded to the North Island.

Dr Boranoff has, reports the " Fielding Star ” received a cablegram from Russia announcing the death of his mother, who had last seen him from a distance as be was working in chains in Siberia.

In spite of the flood current and a severe head wind Mr Belcher’s staunch little motor launch “ Rita ” made capital progress against the elements on Saturday afternoon last. Notwithstanding the gale on Saturday, some 17 players were just rea ly to entrain to play against Morrinsville, when a tel°gram was received from Captain Page to say that his team had forfeited to Te Aroha.

The Choral Society is to be congratulated on its selection of music for its next concert. The charming piece entitled “ The Merry Men of Sherwood” will be produced Members are requested to attend the first practice this evening at the usual time and place. The Australians have won two of the three test matches plajed, and if they manage to defeat England in one of the next two matches to be played, they win the rubber and take the “ ashes ” to Australia. In the first test match England won by 10 wickets; in tfce second Australia won by 9 wickets ; and in the third Australia secured the victory by 126 ruus. The Official Year Book just to hand states that among iheNew-Zealand-born population of European descent there is evidence of less drunkardness than among persons who come from abroad. At the oensus of 1906, out of the total population of New Zealand over 15 years of age 55‘75 per cent were found to have been born here; while the proportion of the convictions for drunkardness of New-Ztaland-born Europeans to the total convictions was in the year 1907 about 20 per cent. only. Some of the Wnitoa settlers appear to be under the impression that the Piako County Council would prevent them from draining into the road drains along Nos. 1 and |7 Roads. We think the settlers are mistaken in this.

On Friday evening Mr Jones’ tu n-out was standing outside the Palace Hotel, when something startled the horse, which bolted down the street. The horse luckily cleared the electric light poles in the middle of the street, and galloped to its home at the Wairakau, about six miles, stopping at the gate, without meeting with an accident of any kind.