PUBLIC MEETING AT SYDENHAM.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7829, 6 April 1891, Page 6

PUBLIC MEETING AT SYDENHAM.

Last evening a united temperance meeting was held in tbe Oddfellows' Hall, Colombo road, when addresses were delivered on Prohibition. The chair was occupied by Sir William Fox and there was a very large attendance, the hall being packed. After singing a hymn and prayer by the Rev. Newbold, The Chairman said that anyone who went about and visited the poor drunkards and dens of infamy could come to no other conclusion than that it was tbe work of the devil and not of God. The Intermediate cause of it was the man who sold drink. Tbat night from 1000 to 1500 men and women throughout the colony ' would be locked up for drunkenness, and many ot them next day sent to break stones or pick oakum, and there were about as many persons locked up in tbe lunatic asylums through the effects of strong drink, perhaps to remain there for life. Probably there were three or four thousand persons in the colony that night who were In gaols, lunatic asylums, hospitals and other refuges through drunkenness. So long as the public houses were there they might introduce what reforms they liked, but that t terrible evil would still exist. Yet by their will and permission they could order the laws of the country, put their foot down, and return men who would pledge them-; selves to close every public house in the district. Why did they not do It? During the nine years the present Licensing Act had been in force only fifty publio houses had been closed, and only twentyfive of those on the ground ot there being too many. They did not wish to see their hospitals, gaols, and asylums filled, and they bad the means to stop it and be an example to the whole of New Zealand where prohibition would follow as opportunity occurred. The partial success Iv Dunedin last year of the prohibitionist party had caused the value of hotel property to go down 23 per cent., and if they succeeded in, Sydenham tbe value throughout New Zealand would go down 50 per cent. He condemned Mr A. Saunders' proposal to establish distilleries in the colonies, and went on to say that the "moderate" candidates who had been nominated were the tools of the publicans, and were brought out to try aud take a few votes from the Prohibitionist party, and then went on to speak of tbe ravages of strong drink among the natives of Africa, and said the banks of the Congo were paved with broken gin bottles. They should call on all New Zealand to follow their example and said he hoped yet to live to see New Zealand a prohibition country. (Applause). The Rev. J. 08. Hoaek said he found that all the argument brought against prohibition was centred in the alleged injustice of the thing, but be held that if publlchonses were built for accommodation purposes there would be no Injustice in closing the bar. The other portion of the house would not be touched. If the houses were built with a view to receiving so much profit through the bar, then they were erected ' under false pretences. He wanted to know if it was unjust to stop the sale of strong drink because it was destroying the morals of the people. The only charge be had to make against the publicans was that they conld not look at this aspect of the question. It was purely a question of pounds, shillings and pence with them. The presence of the liquor traffic was a huge injustice to a modern community, and J prohibition was tbe only means of removng the sin and misery that existed through it. (Applause.) / The Rev. W. Hiddlestone, of Victoria, gave an address, and spoke of the great victory gained in that colony in obtaining amended local option laws. He nrged them to be true to their colors on Friday The Rev. L. M. Ism referred to the pamphlets Issued by the Prohibition party, and said that two more issues of. the Prohibitionist would be issued during, the week. He had done all he could to get the publicans and brewers to meet them on. the platform, and as they would not come there he would meet them through the Press. It was said that if the hotels were closed sly grog shops would be opened, but he contended that if they were it could not be done without the knowledge of the brewers and wholesale traders, and he did not think they would descend to that though they did not stop short of untruthfulness. It was also said that if the hotel licenses ,ier%j»#_>WW m . or « T? rkin £ men's clubs but.be said, the present Government, orypo Govern-, ment duriu* would 1 dare to issue a license for a Working J

Men't Club in a district where t_ __rclosed. Mr Hobau . that Prohibition laSrdHJ 1 * would not result in one pint fflS sold. He had replied by askCftS ™m. °P ei i ln R a-d licensing■ sft»| Rambling saloons In Syd-nham w _iSW lucrease gambling, and Mr Hoban not say It would not. If the ra_-l o ** returned the publicans' cVnd!l__?9 would be an insult to the old Com_ill ** Committee would have t£_]?& Quallfled to regulate the drink tVsm>S late Chairman of that CommirTl % Booth; had desired to drink, but he found heTcoufd u_lM under the present 1-w, and Mr __£* said the same thing as the experience in Christchurch. B« «nl (Applause.) 6 '" 0 ** "*"*** fiß fne meeting, which had besn *w S?flSSS__f' waß thwx «■* a