ARGUMENTS AGAINST.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 243, 13 October 1919, Page 10

ARGUMENTS AGAINST.

ADDRESS BY MRS. KINETON PARSES. An address was delivered in the concert chamber of the Town Hall on Saturday evening by Mrs. Kin-ton Parkcs on tho subject of why New Zealand should vote against the State purchase of the liquor trade. ' The speaker also replied . to some of the statements hy the Rev. J. Milne, M.A., when speaking for the Moderate League. The Yen. Archdeacon Mac Murray presided over a fair attendance, and briefly introduced the speaker. Mrs. Parkes, who was received with applause, said it was not Mr. Milne's facts which were at fault but his deductions, and she was present to put the other side of the question. , With regard to State control, 'both her opponent and herself would agree that it was an attempt to solve a difficult problem and to arrive at a medium. She alluded to the report of the Efficiency Board recommending the abolition of the liquor traffic, and stated that it showed how advanced was New Zealand in the matter of social reform. This was shown also in the fact that legislation was in force which provided for a vote of the people upon the question of prohibition. She was astounded, however, when she found that provision was made for another vote, following on that of April last, in which one of the issues was State control. This, to her, appeared as though someone were endeavouring to confuse the issue. How was it they 'had heard nothing of the success of State control? The only reason that, could be advanced was that State control had not been successfully tried anywhere. It had been said that under State control they would have pure liquor — (laughter)—hut why was nothing said about the financial side? Itr was true that the financial side was the lowest side of the question, but at the same time it had to be taken into consideration. It had been said, why pay £4,500,----000 for prohibition when they could get it for nothing? Str„nge as it may seem this had misled people last April. But I she would ask now, why pay some £10,----000,000 when by waiting they could get it for nothing? It was after all a matter of experiment. That being so, why not try the experiment that would cost nothing first? The argument that if they carried it they would have to stick to it, need not be taken into consideration, as no legislation was permanent, and the matter rested with the people. She pointed out that the liquor trade had a chance of compensation at the April referendum but they worked against it. Why then should they work for the thing now that they worked against then? (Laughter.) She had read a statement from a speaker who pointed out what State control had done to decrease drunkenness in England, but it was not State control that had done this; it was the Liquor Control Board —quite a different thing. As the result of its operations drunkenness had been reduced by 72 per cent, and crime by 70 per cent. This to her was an argument not for State control, hut for prohibition, because if the reduction of the hours during which the hotels could | remain open could effect this beneficial change, how much more good would he I brought about by the closing of the hotels altogether. These restrictions at Home, however, were only emergency measures, and only held good for the duration of the war and one year after. I The speaker urged, in conclusion, that

the women look upon the question from the point of. view of the generations to come, and not to fail to make use of their vote. / CLOTHE- SNOWY WHITE WITHOUT RUBBINQ I Fairy Wonder Dry Soap makes the clothes beautifully white" without rubbing or boiling. No extra soap ls required, and it will not injure the hands or clothes. Try it. Large 1/10 packet does for 12 washings.