LICENSE LECTURE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 118, 17 November 1908, Page 7

LICENSE LECTURE.

Only about 50 persons "attended at the Drill Hall last evening to hear Mr Dalrymple. Mr T. H. G. Lloyd occupied the chair, "owing to the absence of the Mayor, who was called away on important business. ' ill- Dalrymple said that anyone who came there expecting to hear anything unkind of his opponents would go away disappointed, as ho did not intend to say unkind things about them. He said that in regard to the challenge, that he had sent the letter from the No-liceaise League on to the- secretary of the Licensed Victuallers, and had the latter party been willing to allow a . No-license speaker to take the platform with him, ho would have been perfectly willing to meet Mt Thomas,- and he woud make it his business to meet Mr Thomas before he left the town, and his meeting would* be perfectly friendly. He said that the figures quoted re Ashburton were easily explained. They all knew that after prohibition had been carried the hotels were open for six months. During this six months unscrupulous publicans did not care how they conductted their hotels, because they were not afraid of endorsements of license or fines, and consequently so long as they got rid of their stock they did not care how they did it. He stated that the No-license circular re the Ashburton mother's letter bore out his statements that if they banished the hotels the liquor was taken into the homes', where it was at .the command of children, and, therefore, it /Was better for the liquor to be controlled in the open bars. When, in No-license districts the machinery of the sly grog shops was, got in working order, the cases of drunkenness greatly increased. He contended that Nolicense was immediately followed in . towns by depression. If No-Jicense was carried here all they would have to do was to walk as far as the racecourse to get as much liquor as they wanted. For instance, someone could start- a -store, on the other side of the old Taluoraiti RoacTT which was in j another electorate, and residents of tbo town would be able to keep as much liquor stored there as they re- ; quired, and could get as much as they wanted after five minutes' walk. He. read a wire from a friend of his in Ashburton. The wiro stated that during the past nine months, ending September 30, 100 cases of drunkeoii ness had been before the court. He then read an extract from the Nineteenth Century, dealing with prohibition, which gave an interesting account of how liquor was to be obtained in Portland, the centre of the prohibited State of Maine. Tho article said that hypocrisy was the keynote of the situation. This would be exactly the position in their own town. He had the greatest respect for his opponents, but he had absolutely no time for the man who advocated prohibition, and would come and drink out of your flask. Ho wished to put the question fairly before them, whether they would have liquor sold openly or have it driven into every hole and corner in tho town. He said that they were asked to put reputable men out of their business ; to put reputably conducted businesses out of their town. Was this f aii\? He would conclude his address by saying that after the election was over, and the first time ho got a holiday, ho would pay a visit to the town just to meet the many kind friends he had made during his stay here. Mr Macallum proposed, and Mr F. A. Harrison secbndecl", a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Dalrymple for his address, which was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings.