FOR AULD LANG SYNE.

NZ Truth, Issue 234, 18 December 1909, Page 5

FOR AULD LANG SYNE.

Christmas Cup of Cheer.

"Dry" Disapproval.

The gay and festive l-'rohibitionist and JNo-Licenser is a curious cujjs, and you can always tell what he will say m any circumstances — he has a number of reasons m his bag, and trots them out lime after time, ana you can generally bet that .when he sets out to uphold his particular narrow view, ho will become abusive and exaggerative without any provocation. A correspondent of the .''New Zealand Times" recently suggested that the hours ot closing hotels on Christmas ftve should be extended to midnight ; whereupon one Urawshaw mote about "advocating a drunken Christmas," "bringing m, the anniversary of Christ's birth m a state of bestial inebriety" and "dishonoring suggestion," working all these pieces of wisdom m twelve lines. Orawshaw isn't worth wasting argument on ; but there are crowds of wowsers m the city -who will make private arrangements to celebrate a "drunicn Christmas" and bring m the anniversary "m a state of bestial inebriety," aati wfco will go about doing all they know, to stop the working man doing the same thing— perhaps a little more mcderaiiely. These wowsers will talk much' about the matter, and exercise their ingenuity to rate up some .Worse-sounding phrases than those swotted up by Urawshaw, and by means of abuse and exaggeration convince a lot of moderate people that to extend the closing time would be wicked. As las whole brotherhood of wowsers know, closing at ten o'clock is the causa of moxe drunkenness than anything, especially oa a festive occasion like Christmas tiro, when the cup, as a result ol out hearty and healttiy customs, goss round otfcener than on usual occasions j and, having to empty the cup often m a short time, puts many a man on his back who w o uM otherwise come through the evening as sober as any leading Hgki of w-owserdqm — which isn't saying Jnncn for him, but it would Keep him out of jug. Furthermore, it is not suggested by those who want the bars open till midnight, that they want to drink all the time. The chief thing wanted is tho ability to take a cordial, fraternal glass wfth one's friends on the verge of midnight. Tfce Wowser argument about the late hour of closing increasing drunkenness has no bottom m it, though a &reat many respectable folk are deluded by it. It hasn't been proved that tecause the people m JSurope and itinoiand hare more facilities for drinking, they drink more m proportion than the people ot M e w. Zealand, or that, if they drink more, there is more drunkenness. As like as not the JNo-License and Prohibition friends hope that by beeping the earlier hour on Christmas Kve, the ;polico may be able to catch sundry swan'r-sellers getting rid of their good's alter hours, thus fcrnishißg them with what they will, call "evidence" m favor of closing the hotels, and making beer the only, drink m the home. - :