TO REFORM THE DRUNKARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 250, 15 October 1908, Page 4

TO REFORM THE DRUNKARD

TEMPERANCE WITHOI'T TOTAL ABSTINENCE. -NO PLEDGE. A great crusade against drunkenness which has received assurances of strong support from Mr Balfour and Mr Austen Chamberlain, is (says the London Daily Express) tne object ol uie newly formed True Temperance Association. The promoters of the association intend to work on entirely different lines from those usually employed liy total abstinence and temperance workers. In a manifesto wihich they will issue in a few days they declare:— "We claim that if a temperance movement is to be really effective it must be inclusive, not exclusive, that it •should control every moderate man and woman, and not merely tile total abstainer, who does not represent more than a -mull fraction of the adult population. "We propose putting tile 'JO per cent, of temperate men and women of England into the field to light intemperance and drunkenness.

"We do not believe that the drunkard is to be reformed by ruining the publican. The public house is one of tile oldest of all English secular institutions. To drink wine is no more a sin than to eat mutton. It was Mahomet who made wuie a sm. Wine is part of the Blessed Sacrament. 'We claim tiiat the highway to temperance, lies in the reiorm of the public house. The True Temperance Association as oiw of its immediate works will therefore support the Public lioi.se (Extension of Facilities) Hill now in Parliament.

'"This Bill propose to give to every publican the fullest facilities to make his house an eating house as well as a drinking house : a real refreshment house, a restaurant, an hotel, or a elnb for the workman. just as Hie fasliiona'ble hotel is for the English aristocrat or (Ire American millionaire.

"Wv want to give the English workman wlia-t his fellow- <r.i the Continent have already—a blight, eheery, refreJiimciit house, with light music. games and eomfort. It is because the Continental workman has this that there is so lit'tle drunkenness on the Continent. "We shall hold meetings and shall hope to enrol members from one end of England to the other. We shall appoint our consul in c.vvry town. We 4iall ask no pledge and wear no ribboa. We do not boliew in proclaiming our virtues to the world."