DRINK AND THE FORCES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 233, 11 March 1915, Page 6

DRINK AND THE FORCES.

WET CANTEEN URGE!) FOR TRENTrUM. L'Y THE "MODEKAXir LEAGUE. Tho advisability ov .otherwise of establishing a wet eauteeu at Tieatham Camp was discussed on Tuesday by a deputation to the -Defence -Minister (lion. J. Allen) from the New Zealand Moderate League. The deputation consisted of the <■*■- ecutive of the League, headed by the president, Mr A. A. A. Menteiitli. Mi LMenteath sa.d they liai fully lecogui::. Ed that it was tnt.iri.iy b. nu.tter ol military discipline for military experts to decide whether a y.ci canteen in the camp would conduce o! aot r,o the end which they all had iil vio>v- iuHi.eiy, thiit our men should reach, tne iigHing line in the pink of condiiioa. "T'le reasons which prompt, us to look with favor on the establishment* of tut, ciiitecii in question may be'very iinttly put. We hold that the surset way to secure ternptrancc is to accustom indivuiuai to meet the objici ovci winch eimtro)

is to be exercised uiiucr nnrnal conditions of everyday life. < The complete suppression of natural or nciuircit appe tite.s for limited periods in ulucst all cases will tend to brim; ,ibiu,i. ejxess at the time of release. 'Wh »(dd thi-, lo '."J l-'Tgely t'r.e caurio o. 1 t!u. Indulged in by meuiLoK e' Ifiv .forcx when on leave in the city, in those limit-.::! instances when their oeiia>'icur has called for unfavorable I'o.nnei.t, W* think the cause of tempeiuiice >o;dd t.e advanced by >i normal i,\i|iply ol nh»U----"oir-.o liquors iji the camp ai prop, r tinua and under dua Visaulat'in.. it viil, "we hold, be far bettor for tin: mouJs and health of the men tliii:. i.(.nsJin;dijn •'■ liquor should be under tiu. 01/nu duper. cision and control of £.*•: miiiiaiy autliortticsi thai; made a iiatce; ...l con cealinont and Bubterfiißt." In his reply, the MhuTiler agn r.ti ivitii the iden that men s-licjdd lie nivdi enough to resist tewplauan m.l iSiy here but when tbey are ai''a;>' Theic were men in the camp strung enough to

resist temptation, ami there wan others as weal; as could he, Theic vas one difficulty—the legislation xti.er. prohibited wet canteens at any .'auty in New Zealand. He did not want lo shelter himself behind that lugUlutiuH. however. He had supported that leghlation, and would support it aguic. Ii» chought that the elimination of wet canteens had been of great benelii. tie .-'poke as an i officer of twenty years' istrntln*g and he I claimed to have come to his! decision owing to the knowledge of wiiat iiau transpired fjrmei'ly. He spoke, too, as a, jnodyr&te. He sympathised with the objects of thf League. He had tried to seo a way cf getting' round tiie legislation, and they had tried to bring inlluencu -..pun Ibe men, such as the prohibitipu of purchasing bottles at the hotels, to get over some of the difficulties. Unless tney could •shut the public house door in Wellington against the men the wet lanteen was gt'iug to be of little use as far as he could see. Latterly, a wet canteen had been established in Egypt. General Godley had been against it. but such vile liquor was sola, that the canteen was established to safeguard tho men, If the difiiciUi'-i which had a/Hen before u,» iUu.i ~**i>t away had eiintiliiirtd he M-'/iild hata my seriously uiougiti oi gating round th,) legislation which prohibited a wet canteen at Trentham. He would be glad to have the deputation's view on whether th->. hotels in Wellington, should be shut to the soldiers if a wet canteen wen: entablished.

Mr Mentes.th fiKid lie did' not think they should '"coddle the iveadcluigs." They must expect some excesses, but it was not the teetotaller «ho had won the battles of the world. It was the large-heal-te.d men', bent sometimei! on pleasure, who went to give up their lives lor the country. It was the man who sometimes'indulged in dissipation who made the best soldier. As to tbe legislation, it was doubtful whether it was meant to affect the position at Tren. than:. It applied to Territorial camps, and was meant for such camps wuraf enacetd.

Mr Allen: "Then may I take it that you would oppose, placing the hotels in Wellington out of bounds for men in uniform if a wet canteen ia established? I want a reasoned opinion." Mr Menteath said he understood that if such a canteen were established, the men would be asked to sign a moderate/)ledge. Mr Allen: "No. They are being asked to sign sucK' a pledge now. It has nothing to do with the wet canteen." Mr Menteath: '■' I understood it had. I would oppose the men being treated like children."