NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 66, 8 September 1911, Page 4

NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN

AX ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING. Theire w:ts a very large gathering of tempmim-e workers ajid sympathisers at the flood Templars' llall lust night to hear the Rev. .1, Dawson, of Wellington, uml thfi Kev. Frank Jsitt, organiser of the Nu-Licen.-fe League. The Rev. Isitt was very brief in his remarks, leaving the main speech of the evening to his confrere. Mr. C. E. liellringer presided, and the Rev. I'. J. IJddell was also on the platform. The chairman's remarks were delivered in a most hopeful tone, every word drchwing his hope, and belief t'lint at the no-license poll next November the Taranaki electorate will ''strike out the top line," and that the Dominion, too, will secure national prohibition or go very close to it. The Rev. J. W. Liurton also sipoke a few words, wishing the cause well.

T'lio Rev. John Dawson said lie was "glad to be amongst the people who were going to do it." He would like firs>t to congratulate the temperance people of New Plymouth upon the erection of this very fine hall. He regretted that 'lie was unable to stay here for Sunday, for he had lo go to a big Maori gathoring in To Kuili. "Their friend the enemy" was already there in advance. A Maori Uwre had been approached with an effort to cajole him into voting and working for the license party. Failing to cajole him, this white man said that if the Maori voted out drink they would supply Jiim with 110 food. That had no effect. Then the agent found that the Maori had a mortgage on his property, and he uttered a threat to foreclose on the mortgage if he worked for the other side! This showed' how the drink traffic could degrade a white man. The speaker then predicted a great forward move in the no-lieenae movement this year. If the people were tnie to God and 'their opportunities not a single liquor license would go beyond the .'Jflih of June next at ten o'clock at night. That would be done if a sufficient number of people in the various-electorates made the penstrokes through the right lines on their voting papers on polling day. This was not a vision; il was not in the distance—it was within reach and in slight. Here was the opportunity for New Zealand's happiest Christmas to date. There was power given them to set, Now Zealand free from the liquor trallic. That there was need to set her free was clearly shown in the last police report. In the last year the police secured over 1.1,000 convictions' against the trade over LI,OOO convictions for drunkenness in comparatively sober New Zealand—<an increase of over IJOM on the previous year. Over ftOO of the increase was in Auckland and suburlw, 200 in Welling-, ton and suburbs, 17 in Christchurch, and there was a decrease of HO in Dunedin. There was a decrease in t he fifteen electorates in the South, no-license electorates and the neighboring ones. The increase of drunkenness was not in the no-license electorates. these convictions an aiarming number were convicted for the first time. If this licensing business were to keep going, there must be more drinkers provided for them. 'T have not got a boy for them, have you?' he a»ked. The jioliee report showed that of 1A57 licensed persons there were last, year over 'JOO prosecutions, and whilst there were not so many convictions there were II!) convictions against, liquor-sellers hist year. He advised temperance workers lo get this report for themselves, and 10 get its contents widely known.

Xo-lieenso elcciorates were putting up a magnificent object lesson. The "trade" party, he had learned, was. now planning a great advertising scheme of misrepresentation and •'lakes." The nolicense pa-rt,y could meet it, and defeat it with facts. Tile people were to be told that no-license would keep tourists out. of the I'ljiintry it hadn't done it so far. They would be told t/hat nolicense would mean increase of rates—it hadn't resulted that way in Oamaru or [nver'cargill (Ashbiirton's increase was due to the sober people's determination to reduce the overdraft and to clean up and improve the town). Mr. Dawson referred to the town of Masterton undnr no-iicense. and instanced the fact that Carterton people, eight miles away, asked I l.j Mns»terton business men whether no-license had proved good for business, if it had improved the moral tone, and if they would favor restoration of licenses. Twenty-live gave no answer, !M> gave written replies, „f whom 83 said no-license w.-w good for business, had improved the moral tune, and that they would not support restoration. Of these C(i gave permission for their answers to be published, if desired, over their names.

Instancing the eost of the liquor traffic to the people, liev. Dawson suid New Zealand's liquor bill for a year at wholesale rates would run the Xew Zealand railways free of cost for a. year and leave <)'/.. per cent, on the original cost. I hey needn t. worry ,11 mu t. the revenue if no-license were carried. In no-license W aihi in IIHO there were six convictions for drunkenness out of a population of 0000, and of those four were arrested as they came into Waihi by (rain. ?>alclutha luul no-license for 1.1 vcjirs, had never gone b:i.ck on it. aud his opinion was that I»a!clutlui never uo it Mgo back on it. There wasn't an cmptv house, a second-hand shop, or "pop shop" in the place. For three years there were only seven convictions for drunkenness, anil all of those came in by train aud were ■'nabbed" ]>v the police ou arrival. The lialclutha jolice cells were without an occupant for ,"il weeks before .lulv last. Then two n:cn arrested lor theft at Dunedin broke the record. li was four years and eight months since a I!alelutba resident was convicted for drunkenness, and he was the son of an expublican. In lialclutha. with 1700 people. the court records for MIOS. 1110!) and 1!)10 were as follows: Drunkenness, 100.S, 2; l!)0!t, ,i; min, 2: obscene lanW* 1 . 0-«-0; assmlt. 0 ] -0- indecent act, 0—II—0; vagrancv. 0-o—o- - o—o—2: theft. II l' -ii : breach of the peace. 2-0-0. lialclutha, 17011 people, three years, m'vcii convictions for dmnkenne-s; Tailiape. l.iuo people, eight months of this year. 200 convictions for drunkenness ' and a lot more that, ought, to be; nearlv (10(10 people, ,'iii convictions f,, r drunkenness, of which 20 came tr outside fiisborne, OWN) people. ,|7il convictions. I eople asked, -how is it that the amount spent in liquor and the convictions for drunkenness are increasing? It wasn't the no-license districts that were (ioin" it Liquor imported into no-license districts cost Ids till per head; the average for the Dominion was C-l The speaker said that it wouldn't bo polite to say ••You're a liar'' to t|„. „ian who said t.iero was more liquor than ever in no-license districts; hut his hearers \voiul im» justilicd in sjiyiny it. wasn't tiuo. I lir: Mayor of Anlilhu'on was rui ex-publican. lie had not. so f ar put anything in writing for or against the ellects of no-license in A>hhurton. And lie had said that unless the "other side" \\ent too far, and tol.l "too uianv'' and too big," he would say nothing.' But if the trade went too far, he would be compelled in the interest s „f the town to toll tin* truth about it. Hut, in answer to the statement that more liquor than ever was taken info no-liccirse districts he gave this denial: "I sold more liquor over my bar on a Saturday night than comes into Asliburton in a month." 1 hat was a plain statement, froin a man who was certainly not biassed in favor of the no-license organisations. Air.

Dawson concluded a lolling mul eloquent speech amidst Jong ami hearty applause. Tire Rev. Fre.nk Isitt, who brielly addressed tlit? meeting, said he was convinced that there was this war every indication of victory at the poll*. That was the domimuit feeling throughout the length mid breadth of the Dominion, which was the 'hcst country'in the world to live in. and a country whose emancipation from the liquor trade wit* well worth working for. An excellent musical programme was contributed' at intervals during the evening, anil the various items were keenly appreciated, many of them being encored. Songs were given by Mistt Harre, .Miss Ma Ibbotson and Miss Florence Ward (accompaniment by Master Ken. Ward). The girls' choir from the Salvation Army contributed a couple of items, and .\lissi Brokcnsliire a recitation. Another much appreciated item was the supper, which was first-class in quality and plenteous in quantity.