PROHIBITION MEETING.

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 65, 5 December 1896, Page 3

PROHIBITION MEETING.

Tiik lecture given by the Rev J. J. Mather upon •' The Ethics of Drink " £ attracted a large audience, the Volunteer Hall,Hamilton,being fil'cd to anovcrfl >w ' ing point. His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. l)ey) occupied the chair, and bespoke for the lecturer a quiet and attentive hearing.

On rising, Mr Mather was received with app'aure. He opened his address by saying that some days ago be ha' l waited upon Mr Moses and invited that gentleman to take part with him in a free discussion in order that both sides of the question might be presented, but, his lrodest reque=t had been declined and Mr Moses assured him that brewers' representatives did not speak in public meetings. (Hear, hear, an 1 applause). Refore proceeding with Ins speech he wished to make one or two remarks upon what his esteemed friend Mr Lang had said. That gentleman no doubt had done his best to illumine the darkness of some. For a long time he (the speaker) had been under the impression that he was a prohibition-i-t, but before the close of Mr Lang's Hamilton meeting he hud been converted into a monopolist. In answer to a question Mr Lang had said that the reason he was opposed to prohibition was that the prohibitionists wished to create a monopoly, and so they did—a monopoly to save the children fiom a drunkard's doom and a drunkard's grave. (Applause). And if they had any interest in the welfare and prosperity of the community, he asked them to strike cut the top line. _ (Applause). Mr Lang in his address said that New Zealand was the mo-t sober country over which the Brit'sh flag flies. He was glad to admit the truth of that statement ; but who had made it so, not men of the Long stamp, but men of the Isitt stamp, and these were the nun who Were entit'ed to their regard, and whi'c he had great resp- ct for the personal character of Mr Lang, he was exceedingly sorry that en this burning question he should still be in a state of darkness. There was no denying the fee' that New Zealand was the most sober colony, but still drink was doing deadly work in every land and under every sky, and if they had that spirit wlrch airmatcd the greatest soc'alUt that ever live 1, Jesus Chii-st, they would never be satisfied until they had swept that tremendous curse from their lovely shore. The speaker then referred to Dmiel, Sampson and Solomon, who were all good and wise ; but would rot have been so if they had indulged in strong drtnk. The colony of New Zealand spent five times as much in drink as it did upon the education of its children, -and yet tVey were told that education would free man and mank'nd from this intemperance. They could get rid of the drink traffic by legislative measures, personal influence and by force of examp'e. They were just as well able to make men sober as they were to make them honest. The irrge and representative audience that had assembled to heir him proved to him that prohibition was surc'y and when it came it was going to stay. Take away the drink and they would soon have a regenerate community, and tin majority of the u; employed would consist of parsons and policemen. (Laughter and Applause), lie was sorry to say that neatly every newspaper in the colony was at rayed in the side of the brewers, and expressed the opinion that prohibition was a failure, but he knew of ore town of 3000 inhabitants where there existed neither a prison, poorhouse, public-hou-c, nor any outcast woman, and if this was possible in a distracted country bke Lc'and it was surely possible in New Zealand, if the sale of drink was prevented by law. The speaker then referred to the State of Kansas where prohibition wa3 carried by a bare majority, where in a very short lime the population and the value of land had doubled and thepolieemtn had been suspended localise tiny could get r.o cases. He was satisfied with a thr cfifths majority for some time, but if one vote was sufficient to send Mr Lang to Parliament, it was surely sufficient to carry prohibition. (Applause). There was, no doubt, in his mind that the lempeiancc party would make themselves felt at this election, notwithstanding the bribciy and corruption that was taking place'in Waikato and the men who were goiug about with pockets full of sovereigns. "Mr Lang had said they wanted to create a monopoly, but he read a statement which rcfcricd to the state of affairs in Auckland, where there were 58 hot eh. Of this number 23 were hound to Hanrock, 20 to Ehnnfricd, 7 to Scccomle, 4 to Brown and Campbell and four were free. Was not that a monopoly? It was the most dangerous monopoly they could po sibly have in a civilbed community. (Applause.) While in Ngaruu wallia a few days ago he had been told that there were only two free houses in Waikato. He knew Mr Buxton's was not free and Mrs G Wynne's was not free, the Frankton Hotel was not free, but he did not know about Mm Blight's or Mr Le Qucsne's and they might be the two free houses for all lie knew. There was a dangerous monopoly and at the poll to-morrow he hoped they would put an end to this sort of thing. He had been away for some days and durir-g his absence someone had attacked him through the columns of the Aug US. He hid never written anything in a newspaper in his life to which he was af.aid to attach Irs name, and if these small curs wi-hed to but- at him he would be very grateful if they would bark out tf their kennels. (Applause.) In the letter signed by " Waikato,'' reference had been made to an unholy a'liance, but he had as much regard f. r Mr Foulsham who drives tiie cart ts for the banker or any other nun who drives through the street. He was sorry he had lecn attacked, but his name had been cf.rnectcd with tlrsc of two gentlemen who he was g'ad to be able to say were going to vote for prohibitiin. (Applaiae). They had heard a gie>t deal the other night about the sirs el the pre-en t Government, but lie had no hisi tatiou in saying that they had done far inoieto promote total abstinent;; than ar.y Government he bad ever known in the colony, but they were afraid to cany piohibithm by the bare majority, and afraid to give the brewer;; notice to quit. The Conservatives were ever ready to show the evils of the present Ouvernnient : thy wire not without the'r faults, but there svrre spots iipr.n the sun. It was impossible for any government to govern the colony for live or six years without making seme mistakes and giving offence to SC-mcboily, ami because they bad given ollV-nce to a ceitain class of people they were called robbers. If they had done the greatest good to the greatest number of people in the colony he for one was prepared to condone their evils The gieatcst charge was lb :t they had increased tl e pub'ie debt of the colony. When the Seddon party t ok office, in 1801, the funds in the Treasury chest amounted t0£718,000, of this some ;C240,000 had been pledged by the Atk neon Government, leaving only i'478,000 in the haniL of the new Treasurer. Since then the Go\ eminent have spent: on W-oiks- £52,001,339, «r an average of i'4GS 07") p r annum, without going to the Loudon n arkf-t at all, and nifilo 17ii mile.- of railway and 3045 miles of road. They have spent on extension of te'egraphs, £127,012 ; works, roads, etc., 2:;.") (iO-1 ; bi ildiugs, including schools, £200,000 'J he increase in the public debt from 1893 to IS!'."> amounted to .C\ 702.040, and out of this sum £.'5,582 500 was for advances to settlers, laid purchase and similar purposes with tl e additional charge for intircst of .17300 per annum. The public debt bad been increased bu'. the

speaker considered it a most profitable investment (hear hear and applause), ami it the debts of the colony were greater so also were their assets. A great ileal was heard about the advances to settlers, but a great deal of the claptrap that was served up on the public platform was untrue. The scheme was now in full working order and making a pri lit, and when the balance of the money was lent the profit would be a handsome one. The security amounted to £225 for every £IOO advanced and he asked them as c'e.tors if they could say sneh a tlrng icg-rding the Hank of New Zealand or the New Zealand Loan snil Mcrcn'ilc Comp-ny. Mr Mather then made a statement that hi said he bad heard from the best authority that owing to the r.dvan:e in grain in the Sout'i Mr Ward's estate wis likely t > produce at lest 2(h in the £. (Applause.) The average expenditure of the present Government was .€40(5,075 per annum, tiie Atkinson Govern-uuit C50!),32!) and His Stout-Voge! Government £1,881,888, figures thus showing that the Seddon Government was the most economical one they had ever seen in the col-.ny of New Zeal,nil. Much was heard < f the spoi's to the victors, hut the same charge could be levelled at any Government that had ever held office. In reply to questions, Mr .Mather said he could not say why br..-ndy was sent for at a prohibition meeting in Onchungi when a lady fainted on Sunday night. As to prosecuting the publican for supplying it in that in>tanec, the law was violated on Sundays by most publicans e.en when people did not faint away. It was a great scandal that the license fees went to local bodies. Scores of people would support prohibition were it not for tho fo.r that in doing so they would have to pay a litt'e more taxation. He thought the inon y should be spent in charitable aid and relieving the necessities of those people who had been pauperised by drink. He would certainly not favour comp nsating publicans iinle-s they would in turn comjeusatc the widows and orph-nis whose lives hud been wrecked by strong drink. In cue of a reduction the work of choosing the houses to be closed could be safely left to the liccu ing committee. Mr K. White propos d a hca ty vote of tlnv.ks to Mr 0. M. Red for his ellbrts in the cause of prohib tion, and Mr Mather for his intercs ing address. Tlrs was seconded by Mr L'obl.s, and carried by acclamation. The customary compliment to the Cha ! nnun closed the meeting.