PRIZE ESSAY.

White Ribbon, Volume 23, Issue 265, 18 July 1917, Page 15

PRIZE ESSAY.

MATAKANA SCHOOLS. TEMPERANCE l\ REGARD TO THE WAR. (First Prize Essay, by Lilian Jennings.) England is lighting a righteous war in protection of a weaker country against the oppression of Germany and her allies. (iermany, as well as (ireat Britain, signed the treaty to protect Belgium against the stronger countries, and she herself (Germany) raided her. Our Empire stands true to her pledge. It is a terrible struggle, in which she is involved ; in fact, this is the greatest war recorded in history, and the Empire will need our best heli>, both individually and as a Dominion, if we would help to tide Her over the inevitable crisis. If we give our best help to her, we will give our most efficient soldiers, and our women, too, must be trained competently to act as nurses, besides t.iking the places of many of the men during their absence. Our most efficient soldiers are. those who are healthiest, both mentally and physically. The healthiest men are usually those living in the healthiest localities and consuming the healthiest foods and drinks. These are the type of soldier who resist disease. Kitchener has said that alcohol is man's worst enemy, and in some of his speeches declared that drink is doing more harm than all the German submarines, and that any Government that touched alcohol burnt its fingers in its lurid flame. Admiral Jellicoe said: ‘‘lt is everyone’s yxperience that total abstinence is necessary for the highest efficiency.” In spite of these confident assertions by such capable men, many of the public think that it is only heavy drinking which harms, and that moderate drinking increases efficiency and increases muscular strength and powers of endurance. Happily, however, experiments coincide with our statesmen, and prove that alcohol lessens efficiency and lowers vitality, thus opening the door to disease. Besides our soldiers must have their senses clear to perform their duties. That is why the Nubian Government prohibited the sale and consumption

of vodka. Kmg George has set u> .1 good example b> prohibiting the U'-e of alcoholic be \erages in his household during the war. If we realh wish to help to rid oui countiy of this drink evil we will train our children to »ec its evil effects and abstain from it themselves, and those of us who are older can help by voting for early < losing of hotels, dry canteens, and Prohibition. Many people think that if Prohibition were carried many people would be thrown out of employment. Now, there arc about eight thousand people employed in hotels in New Zealand. If the hotels were closed the waiters, cooks, and generals would all be required as at the present time. This would only leave about or>e and a half thousand thrown out of employment, and better times under Prohibition would find employment for about six thousand extra. This would be an inestimable advantage to the country. On the contrary, supposing all the eight thousand were thrown out of employment, should we demoralise eight hundred and fifty thousand for their sake? That alcohol is the cause of most of our insanity, poverty and crime is proved by the fact that the prison commissioners reported that 95 cent, of the people who went to prison in 1911 were of intemperate habits. The late Lord Roberts said: “Treating soldiers to drink is injurious to them, and prejudicial to our chances of victory.” Are we going to be demoralised, have unhappy homes and lose this war. or arc* we going to grow strong, and noble, and win it? At the International Congress on Tuberculosis in I’nited States in 1905, it was resolved to combine the struggle against alcohol with that against tubercolosis. It is stated that at the General Hospital, Boston, alcohol as a medicine has declined seventy per cent, during three years.

It is stated that most of the strikers of the present time are drinkers, who spend all their earnings at the public houses, and so have nothing to lose. They seriously disturb the peace and welfare of the country. A band of Scottish soldiers when marching through the snow over Europe last winter thought, when they camped for the night, that some whisky would keep them warm. Some of them drank a lot, some only a little,

and the* remainder none at all. In tilt* m< riling those who had drank heavih were dead, those who had drank a little, were feeling wi\ bad, and those wlu» had drank none were all right. It has been ascertained that those of the soldiers in the trenches who were given rum were the* most bad y f ost bitten. A wounded soldier who has had drink does not recover nearly so (|iii< kly as a teetotaller.