THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3037, 6 November 1908, Page 6

THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

ADDRESS BY VICAR OF ASHBURTON.

There was a very large audience at the Town Hall last evening when the Rev. Whitehouse, Vicar of Ashburton, gave an address in favour of No-License in the course of which he stated the effects of the carrying 0/ Nc-License had had upon Ashburton. The chair was occupied by the Mayor (Mr P. L. Ho'llings), who, in introducing the Rev. Whitehouse, said that a great deal had been heard in Masterton on loth sides of the question now agitating the public mind, and whether that were credible or not, now the public had an opportunity of hearing an eye witness. If he could not be believed, who could? The Rev. Whitehouse was received with loud applause, and in opening stated that he had gone to Ashburton Icte in 1902, and in December of that year No-License was carried. In July, 1903, the new order of things came about but the full effect was not obtained till the club licenses were cancelled in 1904. The speaker had been there continually ever since, and was thus able to speak with some experience of the place before No-License, and with a great deal of experience of the effects since. The speaker believed he had been diligent in moving about his parish, and had been able to discern facts which he would give his hearers the benefit of. As for the old order of things, it was a memory he did not wish to cherish. When he had set out to find the truth about the question, a friend had said "Do you waht No-License truth or liquor truth?" This summed up a situation, and the speaker wuuld give them some samples of the liquor truth. The first was the old story about the traveller in Ashburton, who asked a policeman where he could get a drink. The policeman pointed to a place, and said "That is the only place you cannot get a drink." To this was allied the photograph of 750 dozen bottles of whisky alleged to have been consumed in Ashburton in six months under No-License. He had interviewed the bottle merchant behind whose premises the photograph was taken, and found that the bottles had taken seven months to gather, and were actually collected from hotel premises just after No-License was carried, when the owners of the premises were clearing up. The actual fact concerning the consumption of whisky in the electorate was that 430 dozen bottles had been consumed in five and a half years. Then as for the alleged drunkenness in Ashburton—why the speaker had almost forgotten there was such a thing. (Applause)\ The liquor party had sent round a pathetic , mother's letter of how her son had been ruined by No-License. He had interviewed this very tady herself, as he thought it was extraordinary that in the letter the lady htyd ex-

pressed herself as favourable to prohibition and yet was opposed to \ No-License. The speaker here stated that he was not a prohibitionist himself. The woman, when interviewed, said plainly that she did not blame No-License for her son's downfall, but blamed the sly grog shop. This evil was not, the speaker admitted, unknown, but was not sly grog obtainable even now in licensed districts. But as ?or those sly grog shops in Ashburton they were so select that neither police, doctors nor clergy could find them. If, as was alleged, there were forty sly grog shops doing a paying business in Ashburton, what would be the condition of the streets? As a matter of fact the speaker had seen but two drunkeji persons since NoLicense was carried, and one of these § told the speaker he had come from Timaru, where he had procured his liquor. In four months the record of inebriates was nine, out of which five came from the neighbouring electorate. The last two raids on sly grog shops had resulted in the seizing of two bottles of liquor in one shop and one in another. If No-License were continued for a few years longer these- shops would entirely disappear. Regarding the increase of rates in Ashburton from Is to Is 9d, there was no doubt the total rates had increased, but' the Borough Council had found that they could afford ,to go in for public works, and the Town Clerk—not a prohibitionist—had told the speaker that the rate of Is 9d was as easy to collect under No-License as was Is rate under license. (Applause). The "trade" manifestoes had stated that forty businesses had changed hands in Ashbul'ton since NoLicense, and almost every business was for sale. Whether the figures quoted were correct or not, it was nothing serious for businesses to change hands, while as for the latter assertion the speaker had telegraphed to a reliable accountant and commission agent in Ashburton on the matter and the latter had replied, "Know of no business for sale." As a contrast eleven new businesses had been opened in the town —all substantial trades. Certain businesses had undoubtedly suffered since NoLicense was introduced, but it must be remembered that in 1902 the Farmers' Co-operative Association had opened and had increased a turnover of £33,000 in its first year to £52,000 in 1906. Since No-License was introduced suburban values had risen by £471,661, and the largest increase of land values was in the working class quarters. The speaker declared that he had no message for the prohibitionist as he did not like the ring of compulsion sounding in the word "prohibition," but he wished it to be understood that he was a teetotaller himself (Applause,) and moderate in his views. At the first poll the speaker had voted for reduction, having scruples against voting for the abolition of hotel businesses without compensation. On looking into this point well, however, he came to the conclusion that when people accepted a valuable monopoly likely to be lost by a popular vote, they should not come whining for compensation when they lost it. The audience could take the speaker's assurance that the sly grog shop was becoming so select that it would soon have disappeared entirely. Further, instead of liquor finding its way into homes it never had previously, this was quite untrue, and on the contrary many homes it entered previously never had it at all

now. He then dealt with the figures circulated by the liquor party regarding crime in Ashburton, his remarks under this 1 head being on the lines of previous No-License speakers. Mr Whitehouse concluded his address with a fervent invitation to his hearers to "strike out the top line." (Loud applause). A collection was then taken 'up in aid of the funds of the No-License party.

In answer to questions the Rev. lecturer stated that he did not think that the application of shop hours to hotels would effect the desired reform. It inight if regulation were all that was wanted.

To another question the speaker said he did not think the wages of corporation labourers in Ashburton had been lowered since No-License, believing that it was probable that such labourers would now have more money than previously, spending now no time in drinkiner.

The Rev. J. N. Buttle moved, and the Rev. Hndge seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the speaker, which was carried by acclamation. During the evening selections were given by members of the Masterton Orchestral Society. One person who persisted in interrupting the meeting was removed by the police.