AMERICAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Issue 1038, 1 April 1882, Page 2

AMERICAN.

'• 'Telegrams are to hand from Memphiß, in Tennessee, reporting that a steamer Wbeen totally destroyed by fire at the wharf at that town, and that 35 persona have been burned to death, mostly women and children.

MASTEETON DEBATING SOCIETY.

The meeting of the Sooiety Jaat evening was well attended,- Mr f Grundy, the President, ocoupying the chair. Mr Eedman brought under the notice of members the advisability of the Society assisting employees by agitating in favor of early closing. It was decided that a discussion should be taken at .an early date on the. best means of encouraging an early closing movement,

Mr D'Aroy, in opening the debate—- " Would free trade in spirits contribute to intemperance "—heß that it would, whether the term were applied to the manufacture or the sale of liquor, because it promoted facilities for obtaining alcohol, and lessened its cost, The advocates of free trade admitted that the liquor traffic was an exceptional one, required peculiar treatment, and must, for the sake of public order be subjected to restrictions. He then quoted authorities to show that in countries where the trade was free, or nearly bo, an excessive consumption prevailed. In Italy, nearly all the crime originated in the excessive use of wine, one fourth of the.earnings of laborers in mt>ny instances being expended on the national vintage. In Switzerland, the

irevalence of drunkenness was traced to

the highly praised light wines, and in France, which had been supposed to be a sober country, there was an average consumption of thirty gallons of wine, cider, and. brandy to each person in the country. In Berlin, during, the past hundred years, there had been an enormous increase of

taverns, and an absolute decrease of churches. In Russia, the extreme degradation of the lower classes was attributed to cheap liquor. Sweden, formerly the most temperate country in Europe,

became a nation of drunkards through the removal of restrictions on private distilleries, He claimed that it had been absolutely proved that intemperance in any country could be measured by the number of its retail dealers. In the year 1825, in England the duty on spirits was reduced from 12s 7d per gallon to 7s, and in consequence of this reduction within three years the consumption was doubled. Mr Hogg, in reply, said he accepted the negative of tho question for the sake of a debate rather than with the object of mak-

ing converts to his way of thinking, H questioned whether in New Zealand ther vas not more drunkenness than in anj ountry to which Mr D'Aroy had referred le had been assured by persons capabl if forming an opinion that this colony wa core intemperate than either England Scotland or Ireland. For this state o hings he blamed the State, which had : lirect interest in maintaining the liquo raffia In New Zealand the Governmen vaa the monster publican, and the chie iromoter of intoxication. Total abstain ira were no doubt sincere in their work iut they did not go to the root of th ivil. Intemperance was such a terribl ;urse, because the money which shouh upport the family of the laborer wen lirect into the pocket of the Govern nent, The State participated in th ;ain on each glass of liquor sold, am he man who drank it was les o blame than the State, Free trade ii iquor might result in a larger consump ion and yet be attended with less intern lerance. In districts in Scotland am relsnd where illicit distilling prevailed hero was very little drunkenness, It wa lotorions that dealers in liquor were as i lass sober people. He advocated tha 11 restrictions on the sale of liquor shouh io removed and that then the State if l bund the consumption of spirits to be; misance, could grapple the evil witl lean fingers and stamp it out, (M )'Arcy: Hear I hear I) Now the Stat' night well be told, "Physician, hea hyself." The State stripped the drunhn if his last sixpence (before sending kin lome to his wife and family, His povert; ,nd embarrassment were the movini auses of his intemperance, As a mean o an end he contended that free trade ii pirits would contribute to temperance le did not believe in half measures, anc (intended that tl.e traffic, if it were ai vil one, should be stamped out msteai f being restricted by the State. Mr Park 'pointed out that as it wa mpracticablo to abolish ,the liquor traffi he next best thing was'to'regulate it. Mr Koye showed that the Legislators f this colony were in many instances ien engaged in the liquor trade, and 'ho had a direct interest in maintaining

Mr Hall said thegreatargumontagaiiißt free trade in liquors was tho fact that intemperance would increase the moment restrictions were removed. The Government were the representatives of the people, and it was not right to throw blame off the shoulders of tho people on to the State. After one or two other speakers had briefly spoken Mr D'Arcy replied, He pointed out the misery and Buffering whioh would be entailed on the colony by the process of stamping out the trado which Mr Hogg rMommfimy. What would be the years during which there wq^^^ffiktrade The vote was given all but unanimously in favor of the affirmative Bide of the question, •' '* The subject for the next meeting on Friday, April Uth,,is a-lecture on electricity by Mr Park. '*" ■;_,.