THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15014, 8 July 1914, Page 11

THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

TO THB EDITOB OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —I desire thxougli the medium of your valuable journal to express my great appreciation of the action of thoso citizens of Wellington representing tho great Moderate Party, who so clearly placed their views before the Right. Hon. .the Premier on Monday last. It. is time that t>ome action was taken to defend tho liberties of the middle party. I have long been oH tho opinion "that there if> a great danger of- our' liberties being taken away from u±> if the present • inactivity continues. I am in agreement with.tho Premier when ho expressed tho hopo that tho moderates should tako some etops to organise. I may state that.l am not connected with either party, and I havo no sympathy whatever with the extremists on either side. I hope that something will be done, .to etart. the movement in Christchurch, and I ehall willingly give my assistance should it be acceptable.—Yours, etc., P. A. LAURIE. Christchurch, July 7th. to *hb sditob of "the fbkss." Sir,—l read with a great deal of interest the article from the '-"Morning Post" appearing in "Tho Press ,, this morning, entitled "True Temperance." To mo, .it is absolutely-one of the best solutions 1 have * ever l read on' the drink question. I had the pleasure of spending some months ,on o tho v Continent" aboui"thjree v years' ago, ami was greatly -impressed with the totally different etate of affairs there and here. Drinking cafcVabpund ,evers7whe.re, > ao.cl the only case -I saw 'of drunkenness in. all ' thatf 'time - was* that' of' t\vo sailors in Genoa,, a seaport town where ono might, easily expect something of the. kind: ' ' : ' • •.-'■*•

* Tbx>' only conclusion'l .could .come to 'was' one'simply of'human nature, i.e., "That a • thing' easily obtained, is - not' worth' having." /Over - there it is simply thrown at the people with Very few restrictions/ the , cafes being j open all night, ■w&ere business warrants i it, and on Sundays/ and anyone with I a good reputation and the , .means can buy a license and start bueiness anywhere. ( Here, as everyone knows, it* is ■the very-opposite;, for .instance*, .. I have seen men guzzling down ac much ac they can get into them after 9.30, vn\l i finish .at 10, .and .they will'be .fired out.* This again, is per- ! fectly human,..the opposite, to what.l i have. already 'quoted: "A thing hard to obtain increases the desire to obr tain it": therefore, were, there fewer restrictions, and the, drinking saloons were* ran more on 'the Continental style,' I think it would overcome a great many of tlje difficulties existing ! here. now.i-T Yours. .etQ;. .. . ■~..,*_ , MODERATE COLONIAL. July 7th. . ;