THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 134, 30 October 1914, Page 7

THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

To the Editor. Sir,—l do not intend to speak, preach or write in this town either for or against l'rombition, nor to uiiu-r inU> any controve.tsv on tho subject. i merely write this to deleml myself sis a man, not as a eiergunun, against a most unjust bruiigki, against in,in a letter in your !asi iosu«. To tiiat i ple:iii for the iiqiior trade and the '.'link is tr.« n».»l and pila.ss. p, m rs'on of nr.' w and Miri'ly carries its own ivfsUttf.:on. Mr. Mauudcr's letter is just, one o! those things Unit juntil'y my jiKa m.u,; in Synod linit the question should no:, come up at ail at the pnwnt time, Vile letter is deliberately and sLupidiy jirovocative. It, is an a.-r:,lli:m that everyone who opposes Prohibition must be in favor of the "drink habit." ami belongs to the "liquor party." It. i.; eiieli blind aiij unwarranted assumptions that make reasoned argument almost impossible. To try and eonviet me of inconsistency because I protest against cruelty to animals and ait tin' same time oppose Prohibition is a really wonderful bit of reasoning. Every decent man opposes drunkenness .ml cruelty and other vices. There are no two opinions on fjbese things. But cannot this gentleman see that Prohibition is a vexed question about which honest people are sharply and even bitterly divided? That is why I protepLc.l in Synod against the question being brr.ugiit forward at till-; time when unity and gooil feeling mean so muih. I am only writing this letter because I do not know how far New Plymouth people take Mr. Maunder *< riously—l am ,etc., A. H. COLVILB.

P.S.— I The motion -l.roug". t -bcfo". Synod was stronger than you imply. I', urged church people to support n uio:i:i : . prohibition. The motion was lost. "THOU AIJT THE MAX!"' To the Editor. Sir,—-My friend, the Rev. Co!vile, must f< el a thrill of •'eamothinj!" to wul lit is hailed as a isaviour cf t!is "Tiatl.-.' From now on New Zealand will be inundated with Liquor bins;-; >1 p:i 11!j)!)I* s probably with a photo of the rev. gentleman in the centre, showing that til-' vicar of tit, Mary's is with them cwn to tiile end; I mean, their end—next December. 1 was not a bit surprised when 3 .saw one of the Liquor papers starring tine rev. gentleman with the linual black head-lines that- generally betoken some great disaster to a community, or Church, or something else. "The' reason why';" On one occasion I ]ien,rd the gentleman preach a sermon, and he took for his text, "Thou art l!ie man!' and 1 have heen wondering ever since what all the apologies for David meanl, but when I read ilr. Culvilc's public utterances at. the Synod meeting 1 saw light, Jn the parish of St. Mary'.-, there are more women and children suffering untold -misery through the liquor trade than al! the, cruelties eommittc,': on all the animals throughout Tata naki, but doc 9 Mr. Col vile weep for ' them? Does he lift up that seductiv and eloquent voice of his against it; No! But lie feels deeply distressed at the thought that a truck of pigs migh' po 'short of a drink. My fri ml. Mr Colvilc, talks of "Moderates.'' Thenare none. There are only two kaowr B»m*>ortcrs 'of the liquor trade—those fho like it, and those who are financially interested. The Fiate onlv givetwo rotes—for the Trade, or against it: so tlhere is no place for tlhc "Moderate." In conclusion, I am prepared to put ur a man to debate in the Theatre at New Plymouth the question of the Tradi versus Prohibition, and either by direct charge or collection to give the whoh of the nroceeds to the Society for tft' Prevention of Cruelty to Animals', which 'should please Mr. Colvilc, and he will lr conferring a great benefit at least on the animals.—l am, etc., CIVIS. Stratford, October 2).