PRESS GLEANINGS FROM FAR AND NEAR

White Ribbon, Volume 18, Issue 8, 1 September 1946, Page 5

PRESS GLEANINGS FROM FAR AND NEAR

“Oamaru Mail": TALK ABOUT LIQUOR BY HON. A. H. NORDMEYER. Under the auspices of the W.C.T.I. a meeting was held in Wesley Hall recently at which the Minister of Health, the Hon. Mr. Nordmeyer, gave a helpful and informative talk on matters of general interest t<> women. Mrs. Winn occupied the chair and introduced the speaker. Family benefits was one of the matters spoken of. also the banning of obscene books. In regard to the liquor traffic, vested interests were most anxious to increase the importation of liquor. The alcoholic content of New Zealand beer was greater than in Britain or on the Continent. A lighter beer was introduced with a reduced alcoholic content, which also effected a saving in sugar. The closing of hotels on Saturday afternoons had been a great help and increased fines for after-hour trading had also had a deterrant effect. Drinking on trains and buses was made illegal. Advertisements of liquor or of women drinking were prohibited. Formerly preparations were made up with sugar, etc., and sold all ready to make into beer. This also has been prohibited. The

Licensing Commission had focused the light of public opinion on the drink traff * in the Dominion. People all

ovei New Zealand had their eyes vpened to the doings of the liquor interest. The brewers and hotelkeepers had tried to have hotel hours lengthened. The prohibition vote had gone hack, which showed that public opinion was against prohibition, but the fact remained that a town without the hotel bar was a cleaner and better place than the town with open bars. Though the electoral boundaries had been altered there had been no change in the no-license boundary. It was the same a" it had been in the past. Temperance people could not afford to take things lightly else they might lose the great benefit of tio-licence by neglect. Nfr. Nordmeyer stressed the importance of Temperance work among the young people and was glad to see a Band of Hope had been "tarted. The young people must be trained in Temperance principles and encouraged to sign the pledge and impressed with the importance of total abstinence. The children of today are the men and women of tomorrow and on their training depends the kind of people of the future. It is public opinion which brings about Parliamentary reforms and it is only if Christian people do their part that they can expect the best results. Mr. Nordmeyer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The usual cup A tea was enjoyed.

MR. GANDHI AND THE W C.T.U. In the Missionary Bulletin of the Baptist Church for June of this yea r is an interesting reference to Prohibition in India. We quote in full:— “When independence is granted to India, one of the certain things will be prohibition against the importation of alcoholic liquors and the manufacture of the same. It is a great pity that when the Provincial Governments resigned in 193 b the British authorities removed prohibition from the Statute Book. Mr. Gandhi, on May 19th this year, wrote of the ‘discredit’ and ‘shamelessness’ of the British Government in reversing the law. He gives several ideas re health drinks and refreshment rooms, etc., and says he got these idea" from a circular addressed from the W.C.T.U., Lucknow.’’ The Rev. M. f. Fade savs: “This is one up for the W.CT.U." Mr. Gandhi goes on to write about cocktail parties among Indians: “We seem to be on the eve of attaining independence. Should we ape had European manners and customs, and still prize independence? It would he a sad day for India and the world, if the price we have to pay for independence is cocktail parties and the like What do the famishing millions know of such part’es Let it not be slid of us that cur moneyed men were gay while these from whom they made monev wc r c famishing for food.”