PROHIBITION MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 143, 19 June 1899, Page 6

PROHIBITION MEETING.

The Auckland Prohibition League held their customary open-air meeting on the Queen-street Wharf on Sunday were Messrs Richardson, McDermott, and Tomlins. The last-named gentleother topics discussed were the Ivaihu license, which was denounced as tending to complete the ruin of the Maoris in that locality. The necessity of the electoral roll being carefully watched, and the uselessness of the public depending on an elected licensing committee as a safeguard either to the Maoris or the European population ot the colony. Mr Farribgton read a letter, said to be written by the Mayor of Balclutha, and published m the ♦Hawera Star,' and afterwards sent by James Paul to the 'Licensed Victuallers Gazette' for publication, saying prohibition had utterly failed as regards business morality and general Prosperity. Mr Richardson,, in reply, after giving the official record of crime for the nine years, said he would donate £5 to the Charitable Aid Board if they were not true. He then challenged Mr Farrington to make the same offer as to the accuracy ot the figures he had quoted. The offer was, hSwever, not accepted. The proceedings were concluded at sundown. At the firebell, at 7 o'clock, between four and five thousand people assembled. The speakers were Messrs Parkins, C. French, Manders, Tomlins, and Richardson. During the whole of the meeting it was noticed that to the left of the platform there was an organised band which persistently interrupted the meeting, and while Mr Richardson was speaking they rushed in and upset the platform and the speaker. Mr Richardson then closed the meeting by stating that the liquor, traffic refused to defend iself on the platform, as repeatedly invited to do. at prohibition meetings, but sought to stifle free discussion at public meetings.