THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1894. THE LIQUOR QUESTION,

Temuka Leader, Issue 2654, 3 May 1894, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1894. THE LIQUOR QUESTION,

It is, to us, satisfactory to know thaj, the Ilev. Mr Isitt's views and methods do not meet with the approval of thinking temperance men. For instance, the Rev. Mr Gillies, at a meeting of the Assembly of his Church in Christehurch recontly, indirectly denounced tho attacks wide on tho Ministry; the K•.■•.•. Mr White, of Pleasant Point aido did the same ut a meeting in Tomuka, and in Wellington tho Rev. Mr Walker, iho orgauiser of the party defended tho Government from the attacks made upon them. Tho New Zealand Times of April 26th, says : " lu looking back o/er old files of newspapers, we find a speech made in February last by the Rev. Mr Walker on the above subject, which docs him honor. That gentleman, who is an apostle of real temperance, that is temperance in all things, began by rebuking those who cannot discu.ij the liquor traffic without vulgar personalities and virulent abuse. He went on

to say that the Premier, who is responsible for the new law, had broken no promise to the Temperance Party, though he had not gone so far as they would have liked. But this he proceeded to account for by reminding his hearers that the Premier had Btated distinctly, when he brought down the law, that he did not hope to please the extremists of either side. He had appealed to the moderates, and Mr Walker had ' not heard that the great mass of indifferent people who came between the temperance reformers and the liquor vendors had expressed any great displeasure on acuount of last session's legislation.' But the climax of the speech was the reference to the licensing provisions of the Act. " The Government had gone so far as to practically say that though the population of this Colony might gradually increase from thousands to millions, no more publicans' licenses than exist at present shall ever be granted. A vote upon an increase was never to be taken unless the population of an electorate had increased 25 per cent, during the five years between one census and another. This was never likely to happen. This meant an enormous amount of prospective prohibition already secured for new country which would be opened up, and new towns which would spring up in the course of years. While they criticised other features of the Liquor Control Act unsparingly, the grateful acknowledgment of the friends of temperance was due to the Government for this, and should be frankly accorded." " This is frank, manly, honest talk, which has the merit of allowing an epponent the fullest credit for the excellence of his motive and the good he has done. Mr Walker will, like the other temperance leaders, continue to agitate for Prohibition. We thiak he will not be successful, but if all the-other leaders imitate his frank courtesy, the agitation will be a pleasant episode instead of a furious war."