CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1987, 11 May 1885, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor. _ Sir, —A few days ago a letter appeared in your columns signed'"Pro Bono Publico," to wliich I have been waiting to see a reply ; but as 110 one else has done so, permit me to say a few words to yoiir correspondent. .First, with regard to the temperance men, they have not, nor Will they join their forces with those of the publicans, and your correspondent will not help his cause by making such assertions as are contained in his letter with/regard to the temperance party. " Pro Bono Publico" asserts (with great diffidence howover) that- an increase in the drink traffic is a sign of " progress," but fails to say in what direction, and this is'a material omission, as " progress" can be made in various directions. Let us enquire what the drink traffic has already done for us, and then' we Bhall perhaps be able to see in what direction the "progress" of "Pro Bono Publico" is to be read. . All the poverty in Mastorton, all the ragged half-starved children,, all the ruined desolate homes, and nearly all the crimes ave clearly traceable to the drink traffic—all cpme fpi the publichouse; and does ! 'Prfl Bfinp Pubjico" ask us to "progress" in this directiqli, does lie wisli'tjiese tp be ftfireaaefU" Awl yet an increase of these Mings is %e inevitable result of an increase of pukichoum. Nothing has been more clearly proved than this fact, it is established beyond question or cavil, and you yourself, Mr Editor, whose strong point' is statistics, will be able to bear wjtness tq the truth of it, so that tjie question to be submitted to the burgesses 011 \Yocjnesf|ay js.tjpß,' " Will you vote for an juoreage bf poverty | starvation, and crime, 'or' "not Can anyone doubt how that question will' be answered! Yonr correspondent's letter is full of omissions 1 jie.speakg'of the, of money'.' the new ppljchpjjse is; to gijre rjpe fq, j}fitppij]tiput that the "llow'l .htp l]efrpn} the packets the people of Masterton tfl thq|e pf ihg would-lje landlord Thefact is," Wio. "We cannpt Wg jjuj !i program bapkr ward, ! 'aj|d it isvevy tQqq M with 11 load of fourpiiblichHusgsfcpgariy, lfyou can show us how to get rid of tiwsy W9 \\m we shall be grateful | but we cannot carry anymore, Think for a. moment what it costs us every year to maintain these houses, how many thousands are diverted from legitimate channels for their benefit, and think further that every penny of this money is wasted, that every penny spentin the publichouseis thrown away, and then say, if you dare, that it would do us good to jPFfiap this terrible burden, that it would And'now Mr Editor a'wo'rd with''you 1 , Wliatare you going to do aboiit'tlus niat|er'? Yoii caiVnot'remaiii' neutral,' as' there W8 SPlli 1 ! fl? yPJ}V i ; §?l4ev3"'waitirig j». M yen .ter? te m M making up'theifminijs, ahd one w.w m iujopierydu DjUst'say witlitlie temperanceparty 'wecan8$ ai«i iiiiPiMr af Hii |q vote fpn ini S!Wi prgye $e drink trafflo si publis benefit," ilwfe' i£ does not pause the eyib laid to its charge, that all who have spnkon against it are wrong, and tliat every increase of it is for tho public good, and to do thin you would undertake a labor that abler men have shrunk from. lam&c., W, M, Easthope.