THE TEMPERANCE CAMPAIGN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 251, 26 November 1914, Page 3

THE TEMPERANCE CAMPAIGN.

MR SNOWDEN AT LYTTELTON.

There was a large 'attendance at the Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton, last evening to hear a Prohibition address by Mr P. Snowden, British Labour M.P. The Mayor (Mr J. R. Webb) presided, while there were also on the platform, Rev. J. Cocker and Mr J. T. Norton. The visitor was given an excellent hearing. Mr Snow-den's speech was in support of the principle of national prohibition. The New Zealand Temperance Alliance, he said, had. issued a manifesto that the existence of the liquor traffic was injurious to the individual and the State. That statement had been made over 70 years ago at. Home, ami every year since had seen its truth proved. He himself was associated with a political party representing million's of workers. At a recent congress a resolution was passed that the liquor traffic was responsible in a great measure for crime, insanity, suicides, cruelty to children, and economic wsiste. It was not said that the liquor traffic was entirely responsible for all these things, nor did they contend that its abolition would remove the causes of poverty. Mr. Snowden told his hearers that they had no conception of the poverty at Home. The average wage of grown-up men did not amount to 25/- per week. The housing conditions were so bad that'no self-respecting wild beast would make its. den where some were lodged. A sum of £156,000,000 was spent annually on drink. This was not held as the cause for existing poverty, but it greatly aggravated it, especially when it was estimated that a hundred million pounds were spent by the wage-earning men. In this way their poverty was increased-

What steps could be taken to abolish the. drink traffic? For that they had to turn, to precedent, and act as they always had done to mitigate what was injurious to the State arid to the individual. The purpose of legislation had been to restrain .individual liberty and license. He gave several illustrations to bear out this contention —limiting of the hours of mineworkers at Home, the eight-hour day in New Zealand, and compulsory membership of friendly societies by Home workers. All this legislation had been introduced to restrict the liberty of the individual for his own benefit. The right to restrain individual liberty was . recognised in the legislation of all countries. That was the answer to those who maintained that the abolition of the liquor traffic was interfering with the right of the individual. Already, he pointed out, it was restrained. The whole principle of national prohibition was already embodied in the law of the land. Was not Jjninkenness a crime?. Was not the power of a magistrate to issue prohibition orders an interference with the liberty of the individual? The majority of the people of the Dominion had declared that the existence of the trade was opposed to their wish, and therefore the man who occasionally took a glass had to sacrifice his own desire to the will of the majority. It was said that there would be a loss of revenue by the adoption of national prohibition; they derived a sum of one million pounds as revenue", and spent four millions in drink. If drink were swept away they would more thau compensate for the loss in revenue, through less expense in police courts, the lessening of poverty, insanity, and other The money now spent on drink could l3e employed remuneratively instead of wastefully and injuriously. Regarding "sly grog'' selling, the speaker said that argument was based on tjie experience of "dry" districts which were surrounded by areas where drink could be obtained. It was quite obvious that the experiment would only be partly successful, though in these dry areas it had been proved that the consumption was live times less than in the licensed areas — that surely was a reform worth striving for. Again, it had been said smuggling would be indulged in. He supposed the liquor party would do the smuggling, and, though prating of their loyalty, would yet evade the -laws. He held, however, that even if any drink were smuggled (and he did not say there would be) it would be infinitesimal compared with what was at present sold in the country under the licensed system. Mr Snowden was warmly applauded on resuming his seat, and on the Mayor ask-ing-Tor any questions the only response was:—'' We 're all bare majority here.'' A hearty vote of thnaks was accorded the speaker, on the motion of Mr J. T. Norton.