REV. WYNDHAM HEATHCOTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1922, Page 5

REV. WYNDHAM HEATHCOTE.

. REPLY TO HIS ADDRESS. MEETING AT NEW PLYMOUTH. Last evening a large audience in Everybody’s Theatre listened to a reply to Rev. Wyndham-Heathcote by the Rev. J. E. Elliott and Mr. L. M. Moss The Rev. A. H. Collins occupied the chair. Rev. W. J. Elliott said:—“The altered attitude of the Christian Church is a very encouraging sign. At one time the conferences, synods, and assemblies were dead against the but to-day we have their almost united support. The Rev. Wyndham Heathcote is a surprising exception because nobody interested in the weal of his fellowmen expects a minister under' the cloak of religion to defend the trade How pious the promoters of the liqtior trade become near the poll! It is always so. Rev. Heathcote deplores the low level to which the Prohibition cause has descended, and pitiably calls us to a higher plane. Where does he stand? On the Mount of Transfiguration? No. Down in the valley where the mists of darkness are creeping and the shadows of death lie.

NEITHER LOGIC NOR RELIGION. “Has he called the brewers together to lead in prayer for the benediction of Heaven upon their work? Why not? This reverend representative of the Moderate League calls Christ into the controversy in a way to be deprecated. He does not, if true to his creed, accept the Deity of Christ, and yet he makes Him the prophet of stagnation. Jesus did not legislate for everything, and gave no full and final code of laws. He did better. He made His kingdom a living organism with power of selfadjustment to circumstances. Churches justify their departures from primitive simplicity on this ground. The progressive heart and conscience of mankind is a better example of it. Rev. Heathcote assumes Christ advocated all wise and just reforms for all times. He did not advocate prohibition, therefore, prohibition is neither wise nor just! This is neither logic, philosophy, nor religion. It objects to a reform because it did not happen ages ago. It fixes the issue by ancient authority instead of present-day needs. Prohibition or its negative may not be in the 'Bible any more than the oaken plank is in the acorn, but the spirit of the Bible, the principles of Christianity, and the trend of human progress are on our sides. Christendom has honoured Christ by taking action in this and many other abuses.”

BARK WORSE THAN BITE. Mr. L. M. Moss, in opening, said he was there because the Rev. Heathcote had declined to debate the subject at the Empire Theatre. After hearing Mr. Heathcote he could understand that Mr. Heathcote had good reason to avoid debate. He had avoided the quotation of official figures which were available to anyone. He had claimed to be the dog let loose to keep off prohibition. The genera! opinion was that his bark had been worse than his bite. The beauties of New Zealand, of which we were all proud, seemed out of place when coupled by Mr. Heathcote with the achievements of the liquor trade. Mr. Heathcote would not dare to repeat his misstatements before an American audience or with Pussyfoot Johnson near enough to correct him. Mr. Heathcote’s boast about the Literary Digfet’s Poll was strangely in conflict with the results of recent American elections where the Drys had secured magnificent majorities. The “Manufacturers’ Record,” one of the large business papers of America, had found that 98.5 of those consulted were in favor of prohibition Mr. Moss said it was strange that an Oxford B.A. should have made the obvvious mistake of drawing general conclusions from one particular example. Mr. Heathcote had pointed to Birmingham as a bad example of prohibition, but Mr. Moss read a letter from the president of the Chamber of Commerce at Birmingham testifying to the beneficial results of prohibition. (ENGLAND HANDICAPPED. Mr. Moss dealt at length with Mr. Heathcote’s references to Winnipeg and New York. It had only been possible to check these figures by cabling to America, and Mr. Moss declared that Mr. Heathcote’s statements were found to be incorrect. Mr. Heathcote had quoted England, but England was greatly handicapped by her drink bill of £470,000,000. Lord Leverhulme had stated that England under prohibition could save enough in 5 years to repay her war loans. The convictions for drunkenness in England increased by 65 per cent, in 1920, while America under prohibition showed a decrease of 50 per cent, in arrests for drunkenness. It obviously did not suit Mr. Heathcote to quote the official figures. Mr. Heathcote claimed to have spent about a month in San Francisco, but he did not say that the arrests for drunkenness in fean Francisco decreased from 17,354 in 191!) (partially wet) to 5817 in 1921 (under prohibition), and in New York from 22,635 in 1915 (wet) to 8169 in 1921 (dry). THE ONLY SOLUTION. On the motion of Rev. Oscar Blundell, seconded by Mr. H. Cocker, the following resolution was carried.: “That this meeting of New Plymouth citizens is of opinion that the carrying of prohibition is the only practical solution of the admitted evils of the liquor traffic and urges the electors to strike out the two top lines.” Mr. R. L. Cooper sang the appropriate song, “Arm, Arm Ye Brave.” (Published by arrangement).