PROHIBITION.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9157, 15 July 1895, Page 2

PROHIBITION.

A NOISY MEETING.

There was a very large audience in the Opera House, Tαam street, yesterday afternoon, when Mr T. E. Taylor gave an address ou prohibition. The Rev. Dr. Hoskiug presided, and opened the meeting with prayer. Mr Taylor, who met with a greai deal of noise and interruption, said that most of the opposition came from the men and boys who had disturbed Friday's meeting, on which occasion the (prohibitionists had behaved themselves. (Dissent). The people of New Zealand would have to suppress the rowdyism and blackguardism that took place after the meeting on Friday night. Hβ went on to refer to the appeal made by a Native delegate at the recent Temperance Conference at Wellington, that steps should be taken to put a stop to the sale of drink among the Maoris. He argued that if drink was bad for the Natives it was equally bad for the Europeans. The native races throughout the world had come to regard Christianity and drnukennese as synonymous, as it generally happened that the missionary was followed by the trader who supplied driuk. (A disturbance was caused by a man ascending the platform and refusing to leave until he had refreshed himself with a drink of water from the Chairman's table. The police were then called in and another man was put out.) When order had been with some difficulty restored Mr Taylor explained that the Rev. F. W. Isict had said at Wellington that young New Zealand was nob as sober as they would like to see it, and not that the young men were given to drink. The announcement of a collection was received with strong marks of disapproval by a large section in tiie gallery. After the collection had been taken up Mr Taylor continued his address, and gave reasons why the right to control the liquor traffic was demanded. He then explained his reasons for recently making a statement which had caused a good deal of excitement. At the last election he went to the Tuara street Hall thirty or forty times, and saw there a great number of disreputable men and women. Some of the brewers and electioneering agents were very active in looking after those people, and gave them tickets on which were printed "Vote for Collins, Reeves and Hoban." Those were the three chosen candidates of the liquor party, and that party received the sympathetic vote of the publicans, prostitutes and larrikins. (Applause and uproar.)

Three cheers were jjivon for Mr Collins and cheers were called for Mr Taylor, but were turned into groans, and three cheer* were given for Mr Reeves. Mr Taylor, in concluding, expressed greater confidence in the success of the prohibition movement within a few years than he had felt two yeara before in the success of the agitation for women's franchise. After the meeting was pver, Mr Taylor, escorted by several members of the police force, was followed towards his home by several hun dred youths and men.