The Prohibition Campaign.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 284, 18 November 1902, Page 3

The Prohibition Cam—paign.

DEBATE BETWEEN MESSRS MILSOM AND DASH.

Last evening the Oddfellows’ Hall was crowded to hear a debate between Mr Milsom, president of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association and Mr G; Dash, secretary of the Temperance Reform Union, In the absence of the Mayor, Mr C. A. Wilson was asked to take the chair,

The subject of discussion was the desirability or otherwise of prohibiting the liquor traffic, and the programme allowed Messrs Dash and Milsom forty minutes each in which to state their case, then* Mr Dash had the right to reply for ten minutes, Mr Milsom for fifteen minutes,Mr Dash concluding with a five minutes’s peech.J Throughout, the audience was in excellent humour, and applauded the points made by each speaker most impartially. Mr Dash’s forty minutes were employed in quoting figures to prove that drink was the cause of crime, insanity and death, his figures being taken from Waimate.

Mr Milsom quoted figures combating those put forward, and read quotations from well-known writers on scientific subjects to show that alcohol was only one of a series of evils, and that tea, coffee and other drinks had a more baneful effect on the race.

After the programme had been carried through the Rev J. Tinsldy moved, and Mr T. Brown seconded a hearty vote of thanks to the speakers for their efforts to promote consideration of a great question by amicable discussion.

It had been intended to take up a collection to defray expenses, earlier in the evening, but this was left till too late, and the speakers decided that sooner than trouble the audience at that late stage they would pay the cost between them. Messrs Graham and Boreham desired to have this decision reconsidered and the collection taken up, but the speakers adhered to their resolution.

A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.