NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11911, 4 June 1904, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

■ ;■ ■ . ■-,;•.■■ / "t"» ■■ ■ ■ , .-. ■ -.•■■ PCiltlO MBETINO IN THB ■.; ALEXANDRA HAW/. \•: ■ 11y> Akacaedr* . Hall. wo* packed last evening, when tp*eche* irere given by eeveamil Icading mcmbcn of the New Zealand Alliance. TfaOpeaing hour woe announced m eight o'clock, but the Bey. J. Dawson ei> 7.45 dftUwwd a short eddrcw to fill ia time before thei'netting proper. In opening the «s>& . Key R. S. Oray, who m in •"<* the*, enemies did not tttMrijft WW to soy that their efforts were .visionary, r v , At.the iwart ejection they bcMcwd ■>>««• once and for ever the «U*eeW«»Bt M*. hibitJoa tv a failure in A«n«fc* «"* ««•". where, They would haT*H»,» «**• than they once thought of doinf^- They with the help of men of pnamj^i » might hate to transfer the fight local option poH to the augured.wcil for their opponent* and the organ* of '**« •Wffi? , ; ent« w«w inking matter* so « erio f *V'! Press would discover very if iho publican—or the pubHo^ , * tt»wr*j ccni'd not be mended, it would bo,«ft?W».i It, could not bo regulated, therefore, it W»*j bo tmled. ■ ■ -.-. : ' iV'^'i'-j Mr Gray then introduced lur'-A.-:,**; Adams, of Dunodin, as, for tlio third tune*-! President of the New Zealand Next time he introduced him to them no hoped it would bo as M.H.R. for I>uoedM».i (A voice: "Senior member.") Well, bo hopod as senior member, and before long as the Hon. Mr Adams, for lie thought Mr Adams would soon attain Cabiuet rank in a Houwo composed of men who pl&oee principle before party. (Applaa**-) •• , Mr Adame, who was received with great npplaure, Raid the position ho held aa the. head of such a. magnificent movement ••' the no-licenae movement, was one of .the most honourable that could 1* conferred oft a man in New Zealand. They had never; had a more splendid Convention, The visitors desired to thank their Christchurch frimda for all they had don« for thorn, and to specially thank the untiring secretary. Mr Adams' went on to speaK , of the work they were engaged in, "no gave instances of rub and crime that had come under his personal notice, caused through drink. He had on one ooeaeion wsked a Duftedin divine whether i b j"* 3 ?? better to lock up the nftm from thfl drink: or tho drink from the man. Tktfja* l **** had been to lock up the driitk frofo the man, and ro he believed, and that xras what they wanted to do. It was ft noble etrußgle to help to sAvo •these victim* from the drink. Various statement* were pufc abroad . about the anwrtcnt of drmkmg and carousing in CluMia. But those present at tne m<#ti ing did not look like people -who would be decehed by the*e etonee about nolicen»e which wnre told by interested par. tiefl. He w"ould, however, teJI them n few faote to stiffen tlwar back*. A merchant had etated tliat they did not mind ltdw much credit they gave m Qutha, because the money was »fe Uiere Even m Arfiburton, when no-licence had only been in force for some six months, he had given orders to doable the credit allowed if asked for. Trade bad Increased, And bailnee prospered, and Uwt «M tl\e umtidv to the etftteu»ciit« made. He had » motion to more, which referred to * nutter which an. the. Convention he hod , di< Ddiinoed m « di«gr»ce to tlie oolopy. It ■was on Uk> question of selling liqoor o* Nke. He decuvd to npre the irewUttoa passed By tho Oonverftion, w> thrt W mettdng might give it to endonemeiK, They had poured into tb» Maori country this liquor, whioh had mowed them &<nro, • Tltey had betrayed their troei, «od poured the fire-water m the shape of liquoni upon the natives of the Ipinf Cktowtry.' "All m lost, save offic," Iwd b«fe; said of Mr BelfoUr and his and it might appl/.to Mr feddoa. Why. vlid ho find ha noble heert moved when speaking oP lh« imporUtion of Chin&« labour to South Afnc-jf, and why were h!i heart-etrings not touched by the noefr of the natives an the North? It b*» cause: the hquor tndenr had a. money tares! in it. U tito men who ruled the country had no regard for their owe h«i« our, let them regixd th* JwnoM ofjht people. H* cried "Shuas" on M* MUH vho had rrfesed to promise thkt •o4w(f)W > ehoold be gnated si Nioe, (Apptust); . The Ber. F. W. Wtt motion. He wm receind ■with' i*#oQftML •ppUwise. He swd th«t after *4*sydJß|t prohibition neetioM mnA omtmtbmfa eleven yea», they lad never lu4 * fetter meeting. Their nositlqe wmi *n*»>-ofJMfc-tion, iiobwithstanding 4Mr espyumi> 4*>; t*t» Ho had hcea tanned tlw "dipwiswd/ Isitt. , ? Hβ was not airare U \msf'§/*>'« praratid. If he thought ih* Idoal ojtM poJIA wtae not going to be, chiiuwwL ,ti' might U depmsed, W> H» jhWiMhi fXMfity was not going to lie «tiH $nA o* tmnpied «• gobc fc. , *^ 4s trampling. There wm no {ireUoo* r > tittf the tomriK. wwted th* liquor «fe NiW, M cause no tourists went there. • I*j**» simpl} , the avarice <* nitt* EnflishiMi, *f# wanted the liq«x)r, lHOQlmm**, out of 4000 bad sigMd » j*tit«e;*Atat it. He hopt4 titettf womJd W protect throughout ths colony •• **«f nnrcnt Mr Hill* *6A Uμ oolleafW* Um\ committing this crime. /The liquor **•#»' wft? alr»ys and everywher* « trtlßo. In Bahylon of oh|r > th# J /*(pWii i were the liquor •ellm, and kept Witt* , shops. If tho wina seller *cbe»ted,tie»< was-thrown Into tfw river. If she |*& miUed riotous drunkennew, she w*l t» J» siain. Tiiis wm rather toagh*om^iht ; women, and yet tho whole nf, ' thie . colony could not prevent riotaar drnnbenness. If ft woman ooiwpeW("wtt^.i I the temple of Babylon went into »]*>!& shop she was to bo burnt to deatfi.*, H| wo«I4 rather that hi* dughtem nieces, or any 1 woman be loved, ■sKeeM hk burned to deitth fa her own katitlWlk, that she ehooia stand behind Uμ har the moaf respeotaUo hotel in thu.eojimy* and lieten to lite blaokguurdinn tba* w«jtit on'tlier*. Th« speaker mode now* wirjr strong' allegations against the tr*d£ rally and its ramifications. Ho «fi«wl to tho traffic o> *n absolutely foratsKoae, xm by law-evadcn» «nd aaad, 'were «coundrelK. Ho wanted '**9<RP Christaan tnan ond woman who XaA voCfd for the oootaraance of the tnlßc fo*# 1» horrois. Ttiero w»» HK«noalfU work enough bemf done in Ui» «4o«y, through etrontr dnnk, and they Wfcdd !•>, flm of ell "Hands off Nine.' (ApfbMtt&l (The motion was Una p«t and'oarrW ) unanimoufcly. '* •• i ' Thi Chairman at this eUtfe re«d mgffa(n/m for absence from. , Sfr H. O. BH *«d toe Rev. J. .Orchard. - ilr A. B, AUdneon (Wellington) ntty dealt with the atate of the law- regsrdtwf, licensing "matlern It was their datjr ppt to rail at the PriTy Council, tmt' *o•traighien up the law. so that * wayfariflfc, man,, even though he be » stipsndkiy magistrate, might be able to interpm. itVi A Bill without fonaticiun or prohibit**;, but merely dealing with democratic rift* in this matter of local optiott, ought to be ready the very moment Parliament opened: It was -the brewer they had to flf# s*£ it was no use snarUng at tea paMMau? Newtowa w» j«t v ready for • fight as ever, be might tell them. NewVw»' had-had some experience of tho.kjfrfMof no-license, even for a brief tj*rit#i ■Sβ a Bumber of oonverte to f*oiubMmi hwl been guned. For n>oo nweths tisy bad no-Uconoe at Newtown, and Uetkne had been returned for a fortnight* . |n ikm latter •hort period *U the daadTM««tfw had returned. The Sunday et«Ma to Isladd Bay (which to. Welltagto*' people stood m the mm* place m 6«bxmt or Hew Brighton did to Ohriridiunfc peori*. as Uie nearest pleoe to get * <kii« day drink), had reconinK>noe4 again. Jit Atkinson then gave detail* regarding lh«. "Petrel" libel action a* the- U*i W«lMb#ton election. The view th* jury it was a farthing damages } the trkv the, obentry took of * ws» to stnke oat «M top line. The view tlw brewers took wm that they w*» afraid aod aeesand t« tike the farthing. E* M gm ma* 1 A 1; .•■■■•■ .

if jmdraid, "Ilere's the money, ,, antl the lawyer :t ■■'■■"■'•'.on the other m\« eaid, "We don't want it; !| • wo don't want any funny business in the ''' 'IVttvl.'" In conclusion, he could only '"'■'" wy that the Privy Council's decision had * enormously increased the Hood of r uo . ,,c opinion»running in their favour, which would *<wo them Tictorka from OIM > ™ a ■" erf tlw eofrmv to tho other. (Applause.) Mr T. E.'Taylor. M.H.B-. 1 tt » "»? ■ ns possible, if tJbe temperance people toofc a penny from Parliament towards the NewWn Committee's expenses, they ■ . -would have to «t«nd by an< w>o tho licensed victualler* £7500 instead of £750 lownnh thrir own ««*!»«». Mr Taylor alluded to the great licensing etruggJo taking plow m . . Kngknd. and exprwwd »rt<jn'>'"" ent * l rach a- Government aa the Balfour Uo%erument havin* the temerity to slantl up for protection for the liquor -ra«!e. lheyhad now in this colony, tho liquor traffic threatening to organise. They did not want to w'tii otter countrke for precedent., ,md 'ww a» well-ed.ieaH-cl and n* competent to come to a ripht conclusion J,..w as anywhere. New Zealand knew the degradation of the liquor traffic, and •was going to put its foot down, and would, - ho believed, lead the British people in prohibition. He believed that the Bruce '■'"■' people would yet decline to grant those licenses, in spite of tho law court*. Re- '>'■ ■ -fcrring to recent I'rrew comments, Mr ■ Taylor r-i\A some editors in thwe parts . were benighted enough to talk übout Stat.» control. What. they wantiil was control l.v the people. It ivasnii insulting thing for imv editor to take the prohibition party to t:i-k Ijpciui>- it desirwl political power. Hi« never heard such rot outnido a lunatic. imylum. If they did not cum- half the colony at the 1905 election h» would be . • vfi-y much eurpriM-d. (Applause.) Mr Atkirwin then proposed ,. That, while rrgrcttins that tho imnv'diatp <(lect of the dociuion of the Privy Council m that the vote of a tlifco-fifthj* majority of \h". electors of Nt wt.Dwn nnd Hrni.-i> in nullified by :;■:.■' menim of ti'olinical irresularities which had no elffMjt, upon tint rtMill, this mei'lng nprv*?<■** it« (jiuiviclion that the tiictiew of the liquor m'lUth hi thnx fU/utinif the rights { of the jKople, l-.iivii ft ill further an»ii.«'<l >' public nritipalhy :igii. : n.'t them. and hn«ten«l '■', tho nlliiiiale extinction of tin- traffic." The |j niotidii wii.s rarrii-d, Mr Taylor seconding. \.- Mr R<:<l (Otira) j)rfipoMHl votes of tha-nks '* to t-h-> (.luiirman iinti epeakwy, and "tho V. • ooncludwl with the Doxolojy.