TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4160, 9 July 1892, Page 3

TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

" Strike with drink," was tho advice given not long iig > by idvertisement to -Hoiking men tl.tou;>ti«iui the country.'' To strike against tho drink, which is what wiib meant, is undoubtedly very excellent advice. One of the many "labour troubles 1, which occur dnily at one point or another, and which is iu progress just now in Essex, brings ihia incident to mind. The men employed at an Essex breweiy have been "locked out" by their employer, because—so the men assort -they made a " respectful request for consideration" in the matter of wages, a strike bein» deprecated by the Brewers and Distillers' Union, as only part of the men were members of the latter body, Tho brewer had been a brower for forty years, aod replied (so it is said) to the Union Secretary that he was not going to be troubled with the Union, but would" discharge the wholo lot of them, and bring up men from the country at 15s a week." Accordingly the men were locked out. They held a meeting the other day, and passed a resolution indignantly protesting against the action of the brewer, and calling upon the working clashes of the neighbourhood "to rigorously boycott" tb" houses that! sell tho particular brew of beer, Somo of the speeches were curious hearing. One speaker—a dockersaid he was no Inend of "Mr Bong " at the best of times, and these brewers' men were worse treated than the slaves of America or the brewers' cattle; the brewer had, like a drone, " received all the honey." Another, a Union speaker, said he had during the last thirty-ono years " drunk enough beer to float the Great Eastern," but he did not drink any now. He inveighed against the chemicals used in modem brewing, and contrasted the readiness with which money was paid to the publican with tho bargaining as to the priets of oilier jioods. A iliitrl speaker, a councillor of a neighbouring borough, referred at length to " the poor devils who were lied to tho brewers," and advised the most effectual boycott—which was lo keep out of all the pubs, as ho did, for three very good reasons-because he could not afford to keep more than one home going; because lie could not afford to lose what common sense ho bad; and because it was said no drunkard could enter the kingdom of heaven, The same gentleman said that a former speaker had referred to '.he drink as "rat poison," but the rats were not such fools to take it—they found out the malt before it was fermented, and ate that! On the whole this particular lock-jut can hardly have been for the advantage of the brewer, for it has led to more plain talk on the uselessness of the brewer's drink than all the Temperance meetings in the neighbourhood for a long time, with the advantage of the addresses being delivered to large audiences of people who do not usually frequent teetotal gatherings.—Western Morning News.

There is a statute in Pennsylvania, United States, which does not seem to be very widely known, It is the law wbicli provides that saloonkeepers shall beheld responsible in damages for injuries resulting from their salo of liquors to intoxicated persons, The Supreme Oourt of the State has lately made a decision which suslaius the law as constitutional and equitable, A poor widow sued a liquor-seller because be sold liquor to her husband until lie was unable to guide his s:efS homeward, fell into a nutter, contracted pneumonia, and died, A jury gave the widow substautial damages, and upon appeal, the Supreme Court sustained llie I verdict and the law, It brushed away without muoh ceremony the pleas made for the saloon-keeper that pneumonia, and not liquor was the immediate cause of death, and that the man took the liquor voluntarily, The court thus replied to the last plea: "Every drunkard not only takes liquor voluntary, but whenever he can get it, and because of his weakness the law makeß the saloonkeeper responsible tor selling to such persons, He has not the will power to resist the temptation, and for this reason the sale to him is forbidden,"

The Daily Chronicle reports tliat the Liquor Licenso Bill, the main featurea of which hare been acoepted by the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories, Canada, contains a clause by whieli liquor dealers are to be held responsible for fatalities resulting from the too free sale of intoxicants, It is provided that if any person ebp.ll drink to excess of intoxicating liquors on any premises whether licensed or, unlicensed, and, While 80 intoxicated, come to bis death by suicide or drowning, or by cold or other accident, '• the keeper of such hotel, restaurant, or other house or piape,anc|al?p any peraoi} ivho for hip or in bjs employ delivered to eucli person the liquor whereby such intoxication was cauiied, shall be jointly and severally, liable to an action fori personal wrong at the suitot the legal representatives of the teased," The action must be brought within three months after the death, and the damages are not to be less than lOOdols. (£2O), and not more than 1,000 dols, (£200),