The Daily News. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1902. PROHIBITION ACTIVITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 107, 10 May 1902, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1902. PROHIBITION ACTIVITY.

The large array of temperance lecturers engaged by tho New Zealand Alliance and the preparations being made for the coming election campaign give promise of a very lively time during the next few months. In tie south the struggle may b8 said to have commenced and the activity displayed by the Prohibitionists is already spreading consternation m the ranks of the licensed victuallers. Discussing the position the Otago Daily Times says: —" The necessity for a reform of the trade is now frankly recognised and it is freely admitted that there is ' a vast number of hotels where drunkenaess—and even worse in some cases—is not only permitted, but encouraged, and the laws deliberately broken by sly grog-selling on illegal days and hours for the sake of private profit.' The power and progress of the prohibition movement ia also fully and frankly admitted, and it is now recognise'! that' unless some enlightened scheme be placed before the people Dunedin will very soon find itrelf a prohibition city,' and doubtiDg their own powers in the matter they invoke the aid of Almighty God to assist them in averting such a catastrophe! A schema has been devised for the reform of the liquor traffic-it is given forth as a rational, oieral, Christian and thoroughly efficient scheme, and steps are now being taken to put this reform in operation. The scheme, which contains no uew idea, is as follows :—lt if proposed to form an aßsooiatiwn to be called 'The Ot>go Publichouso Trust Association,' the object te be to buy up one or more hotels, which they propose to run upon an improved principle. Only the purest and best of beer, wine, and spirits, and temperance drinks will be kept; the employees will have no pecuniary interest in the business, and alcoholic drink will not be supplied to any beyond what is good for them, of which, we presume, the barman will be the judge. The shareholders of the Assoei »ion will receive 5 per cent, interest on tho amount of their shares, while tho bdance of profit w : ll be devoted to the purchase of other hotels to be conducted on f he same principle. The promoters expect that, in this way, the business of the Association will rnpidly extend until the whole hotels of the colony are bought up. Such, briefly, is the scheme of liquor traffic reform now announced. In thinking it over a greit many questions at once present themselves. In the first place, will the hotolkeeper3 be found willing to dispose of their properties on reasonable terms ? Should they agree to sell it will only be on recivirg full value for the buildings, t-tc, together with an amount of goodwill based on tho quantity of liquorb sold suid other business done. It is said that many hotelkeepers make considerable profit out of various forms of adulteration, and also by reducing the strength of the liquor. But tho Asso ia'ion is to sell the liquor in its pure state and at full strength. This wi'l considerably reduce the profits and '•'suit in a loss to an equal exent to I 'ho Association. Again, no oue is to be supplied with inoro dii..k than is ooii for him, and the allied chief object, of the Association is to reduce the eoisump'ion of alcoholic liquors. Here .-■gain will iccur a serious lis", and it would win that the of buying up hotels out of the pi\ fits of the business ia a very remote one, Another ' que*ion if, as to wbother hotels con- ■

ducted as proposed will have Um effect of reducing the consumption of alcoholic liquors. Should the barman refuse to supply anyone, what is to prevent the customer adjourning to the next door and have his liquor supplied ? Yet another consideration is this: There j are many young men who would not enter a hotel as at present conducted, hut would have no I compunction regarding entering n hotel conducted on the new principle. Indeed tk.«y might feel it their duty to patronise an establishment conducted on mornl and Christian principles. ; And is there no danger of their ncquir(ing a craving for drink aud drifting into other hotels where they might be j served with more than was good for , them? But, after all, the reform cf the liquor traffic is only a secondary conI federation with the promoters of the .'Association. The chief and primary | object is to prevent such a disaster as i the carrying of no-license in Duoedin, land to announce the ptoposal just b?- ' fore tho local option poll is no doubt . consider d a good stroke of pilicy. Prohibitir.nis's will quits understand j the whole matter. The present crafty I move will show them the weakness of i their opponents and give them heart to stand to their colours, and to put; forth I greater efforts to sacure the triumph j of their cause."