THE PROHIBITIONIST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3938, 14 October 1891, Page 2

THE PROHIBITIONIST.

Published by the courtesy of the Editor of WairarapaDai'y under the auspitts of the New Zealand Alliance for the prohibition of the liquor traffic, Masterton Auxiliary. When ratepayers demand the entire extinction of all places for the sale of liquors their prayer slwuld be granted. — Charles Buxton, Brewer. [Communications tor this column must be addressed to "The Prohibitionist" care of Editor of Wahiarapa Daili.] "General" Booth's great scheme for the salvation of the " submerged tenth," comprising mainly the homeless, the out of work, the drunkards and harlots, is set forth in his book, " In Darkest England, and the Way Out." The "General's" insight is nowhere more plainly seen than in the fact that at every point he proposes to safeguard his scheme from failure by keeping it absolutely and always clear of the contaminating influence of drink and the drink traffic. He instances the bringing of drink into any of the industrial centres as a typical offence which will involve expulsion ; he proposes to select his farm colonies miles away from any existing towns or villages in order that there shall be not only no temptation to drink within, but no conveniently reached similar temptation without; and each colony over the sea is to be in like manner preserved from the same curse. He plainly says that drink lies at the root of nearly all the other evils which abound, and this is thrown in strong relief by the illustrative cases quoted in large numbers in the book.

" Does prohibition prohibit ? " Let us go to Kansas for an answer. A probate judge of Kansas says the State has prospered since the abolition ot the liquor traffic as it never did under the saloon system. The good effected has been so great that he is fully convinced ihe people will never favour the re-establishment of saloons, either by high license or otherwise. Another—Judge Porter —says saloons have wholly disappeared from Eastern Kansas, and 90 per cent decrease in drunkenness has occurred. Judge Quinton, of Topeka, the capital, declares there are no saloons in that city and county. With sixty-five thousand persons his court has not one case of drunkenness where twenty were formerly charged. Judge Calvin says Prohibition is the secret of the unparalelled increase of popula tion and wealth in Xansas. Other Judges of seventy five counties make like statements.

The most recent statistics show only four arrests for drunkenness per thousand of ths population in Maine, despite the fact that there they arrest drunkards of a 30rt usually left alone elsewhere.

A well-known American politician, ex-Governor Larrabee, some little time ago published an important statement regarding the success of Prohibition in lowa. Mr Larrabee had been a strong anti- Prohibitionist, but was converted to Prohibition by its success in the very place where he had fought against the reform. He said he voted against Prohibition in lowa, when it was adopted by the people, but if he had it to do again he would vote for Prohibition. '• The saloon could not stand if it were not for politicians who make it their business to utilise vice to promote their selfish ends. The friends of the saloon hold their institution up as a great public taxgatherer. It is really a source of the most burdensome taxation. The people not only have to pay for the liquor consumed, but a vast bill of resulting expenses. The saloon injures trade. I have made personal investigation in regard to this matter. I will cite an instance. A heavy wholesaler in lowa told me thai his trade was in lowa and Nebraska. His lowa trade was five times as great as his Nebraska trade, but when he made his collections his losses in Nebraska were proportioned as five to one in lowa. The liquor traffic preys on all legitimate lines of trade and experienced business men will confirm this fact." Mr Larrabee gave it aa his careful estimate that " there is not one-twentieth part as much liquor consumed in lowa today under Prohibition as there formerly wes under license. Taxes have decreased in Des Moines, and in the State, yet the liquor press persists in heralding false statements denying the facts. The dullest cities in lowa to-day are those where the law is most laxly enforced, while the liveliest cities are those where the Prohibitory law is vigorously lived up to. Many of the sheriffs in lowa have discharged their deputies because there was nothing for them to do. The saloon was gone, and crime was without a factory. About half the lowa gaols were empty. It is impossible to keep gaols filled unless you have recruiting stations in the shape of saloons. When my term of office expired the couvicts in the two penitentiaries had so run down that all could have been put into one prison. If crime decreases in the next five years in luwa, as it has during the past five, lowi will have a State penitentiary for sale or rent. When I entered upon the duties of Governor of lowa we had 850 convicts in the State penitentiaries ; when I retired at the end of four years the number had been reduced to 570." \

" Carlyle's Message to his Age " was the subject of a recent lecture by Mr W. E. H. Lecky, who found the special talent of the great thinker to have been m his power of insight and his gift of piercing to the heart of the subjects which he treated. Mr Lecky ascribed to Carlyle a perfect passion for veracity, and a corresponding hatred to what he used to call the two curses eating away the heart of the nation—first drink, and then stomp oratory, which he denounced as a school of insincerity.

A firm of English publishers, Messrs Swan, Sonuenschein and Co., have issued an elaborate study of the vital statistics of Great Britain which is full of suggestive facts. Here is a table showing the comparative mortality betwixt clergymen and publi cans :

Publicans, Beer Sel. lers, Wine and Spirit Ages. Clergymen. Merchants, 25-35 4.G5 14.49 35-45 G.2S 14.49 45-55 13,24 28.50 55-65 22.70 43.03

It will be seen that, on the whole, the " life " of an agent of the drink trade has, roughly speaking, an actuarial value of about one-half of that possessed by the " life " of a clergyman of corresponding age! The drink traffic, it is plain, is almost as cruel to its agents as to its victims.

The Trustees of the Masterton Hospital acknowledge with thanks the receipt ot books and honey from Mr Thomas Dixon and illustrated magazines from Mr G, JBeethain,