SOCIAL EVILS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10281, 8 July 1911, Page 5

SOCIAL EVILS.

[To The Editor.l \ Sir, —Having spent a few weeks.' I holiday in your town about two 1 years since, I always take an in tea-- I est in what goes on with you, and read your paper at the Reading J Room. To-day I saw a. sub4eador on; tlhe above topic, which is hardly , fair, I think. lam glad to see that I you recognise that the drink evil is | an evil that needs a remedy, but I you say that the gambling evil and the sexual evil need grappling with. Quite true I I just want to point, first, that .the drink evil is a root evil fort other, evils. I do not say that gamblers are usually drunkards, nor that some may not he teetotallers. It is undeniable that gambling men do not go to the Good Templar Lodge, but generally to the pub, or the pub comer. Just go by some of .our hotels (so-oailled) on a race nigiht, and anyone can see that drink and gambling run in double harness, we might say. As a matter of fact the newspapers that are straight out against prohibition and in flavour of our Licensing system are generally exceedingly tolerant over tlie bookmaker and the totalisator. ' There is an instance of this to-night, which -really • set' ■ my pen going; another daily paper has a isub-leader, too, and there strongly condemns interference with a man who wishes to put his "bit" on his fancy, or on a sweepstake in "Tatt's." Yes! And this same paper is also at all times in favour of the licensing of liquor and loses no opportunity to have a slap at the Prohibitionists. Them as to the other evil you mention, Impurity; that is known to be closely allied with drinking—every one who has any knowledge on. the subject must admit that allied with this is th< Divorce Court practice; and here Lord Gorell, formerly President of the Divorce Court, said, in the House of Lords, that "if the drink were abolished the Divorce Court- might almost close to its doors." Now, Sir, my point in writing is to ask you to be a little tolerant with the. enthusiast in temperance reform. He is striking at what he sees is the greats est evil. Get that .on a right footing and he will help in other reforms. As a matter of fact, when the anti-gambling societies need help they come to the teetotallers, and not the public houses. Of course not; a reformer is not bo- fooßsh as to dissapata his energies; he knows the wisdom of ' 'One tiling at a time, and that done well." I trust my meaning is plain, and if you will help us to abolish the liquor evil, we shall be ready to help you against the other evils! Nay, I expect we shall be the real Kve leaders in the future crusade.— I am, etc. G. H. MAUNDER. New Plyonoutih, sthJulyj 1911. " v I--,- . ■•■■■'■.' (The article- which appeared in the Age in no way discounted the efforts .of those who are endeavouring to effect' I'eform in regard to the liquor traffic. Nor did it attempt to minimise the. evils of the traffic. \AII it .suggested was that there are other far-reaching evils which require attention. — Ed. Agei)