THE LIQUOR TRADE

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 191, 12 August 1911, Page 8

THE LIQUOR TRADE

ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CAMBRIDGE, Friday. At the Waikato Archidiaconal Conference- u lengthy discussion took place on the question of no-license, introduced by the Rev. G. W. Smailes, of Waihi, who said, although a strenuous advocate of no-license rfor many years past, he was now conscious of a growing profound feeling that as a remedial measure no-license was inadequate. The shortcomings of no-lieense seemed to be the ease with which liquor was imported into no-license areas. He was fast drifting to the impression that the only safe thing to do was to go for Straight out prohibition. The Temperance party made a tremendous mistake in not accepting the famous "ninth clause" offered by the late Mr Seddon —No-license, no liquor. Tts acceptance might ere now hare ended the whole business. To his mind, there was only one course open to the Christian Church on this question, and that was to assist in so regulation or ending the traffic, that it would cease to be hurtful to the morals and well-being of the people. (Applause.) The Rev. E. S. Wavne (Te Kuiti) admitted that in many' respects local option was a failure. He was entirely in favour of prohibition. The chairman read the substance of a manifesto received from the Auckland Ministers' Association on the subject of the liquor traffic. The Archdeacon said he was opposed to Dominion prohibition, as advocated in the manifesto, thinking it better to accomplish the end in view by degrees. He was also opposed to the principle of the bare majority in reference to this question. The Rev. F. W. Clarke (Te Awamutu) took up an uncompromising attitude. He considered the open bar was a temptation to the manhood of their country that all Christian people should unite to remove. The Rev. H. 0. T. Hanby (Taumaranui) said the weakness of no-license was the facility with which under it liquor was procurable. When a district came under no-license, there was no prohibition in regard to the evil or the source of the evil. He regarded the fact that no district had yet gone back on Nolicense as high testimony in its favour. The chairman mentioned that in the ministers' manifesto referred to, the statement was made that the consumption of liquor under license had been reduced from £4 3/1 to 18/ per head, while at the same time there had been a substantial diminution in crime. The Rev. H. A. Hawkins (superintendent Maori Mission) quoted the small percentage of cures made at Pakatoa Island, and used this as favouring prevention as against cure. The logical and sane policy seemed to be Dominion prohibition.

At the close of the discussion a private vote was taken, but the result was not disclosed.