MR SNOWDEN'S BLUNDERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15137, 28 November 1914, Page 13

MR SNOWDEN'S BLUNDERS.

v s'TPOSEP '-REPLY"' TO CRITICS. rßv NEW ZEAEANDEIt.) What*-purports to be a reply from Mr .Snowden to his or.tics appeared in Wednesday's "Press. It was obviouMv not MrSnowdons at all, for it, contained such blunders as even Mr Snowden would not perpetrate. Several csomplL-s vill provo thus:--,|i i.r. v ,\ jtiadc xv call his book "So iaL'andtho Drink Traffic.'' Mr c nm ,,| ( . n -ivo lii» bonk this title: "ho c£l m ",3 the Drink Question." Parents should know the correct names or .their own children. f , ) Ho ; s made to say this lx»k ;s eight vcars ok!. Mr rfnowdon woTiid kiTow that he published n in IWc, tis J( 'mv S:Tov.'!en is r.ir.de- to say that lip }.nd V-en i/ianied ier not dealing witii il'ho drink question in his book •■Socialism and Syndicalism/ , Mr isnowaon kr.ows that he docs deal with tno honor question in tins very book, and on mct< 11 Mr Snowden says: — 011 '?OV i IllK WHOLE QUESTiOV OK POVERTY WAS EXPIAIv'ri) BY TEMPERANCE ADV? CATKS XV THE ONE AVORD ■DRJXK ' JJ» : T TIIEbE AD\O- (• VI-V-s NT)W REALISE THAT THE IMIOiJLEM OF POYEUTYJS NOC CVI , VBT.K OF iSLCII A MMPJA FXPL V\ -ITION. NOR CAN IT I'lVAof/VKI) IJY TJHS SIMPLE F\'PFI)IE\T OF UNIVERSAL \ENCE FROM LIQUOR," Nothing could be more complete or I'ffec:ivr- tlian Mr Snowden s doiiunciivLio:i of prohibition, '-universal uh.-UT,ev,(.; iroin hriiior." in kit book •SiKi.ili>:n and Syndicalism, 1, yet jv»' {ire, told it is -.rronc to condemn Mr Siiou-den ior not referring to-the dnn.-: mioitioii in tha<- book. No one con-

d'jmned him for r.oi refernnp to the 1 question in .that l«ok. HisbooKS were u.-.ed by this writer to condemn lib 'having liired hnn-tx-li' to ihe prohibitionists to advocate their cause, "iuiircrx)! abstinence irom liquor. -; nlien he had in hi? book <-on-tonii-tuoLisly '-ondeninecl this 'Simple expedieni"* of the jirohibition party. 011 this point rbo conclr-sioii i* that Mr SiKUvdon nil not wrih; 'lii.s renlies' , as published by "The Press, , or if he did h<; lias proved hini-clf aii egrecriotiN blunderer. and ihafc is inoro liko jhc description "of some other hirelir.fr of tho prohibition party who imagined ho know enough u> be able to deleud Mr Snowden.

MR SNOWDE.VS LOYALTY. Mr first-, article pointed out how M r Snowden bad given expression to certain .sentiments in New Zealand. Mr Snowdon hntl blamed "our mistaken foreign policy" and tlio "Triple Kntcnto'' , for the war, and I pointed out that --ho ow-niies of our Empire, such iJcrmans as Hneckel and Wundn. liad expressed the same views. T would now add that for expressing similar opinions Mr Rrnnsay MacPonald. M.P., and a confrere of Mr Snowden's, was hooted at Leicester and denounced as -a traitor to his country. Kins Edward the Peacemaker Is largely responsible for thy Triple Entente, which Kept tho peace so long. As to Mr Snowdcirs Royal Commission appointments, everyone knows that J'uch appointments are made l»y tho Govenuuenb the day, and M.r" Sn.owden's appointment won Id not bo ii personal matter so much as a political move to capture or placate tho Labour Party. UK SXOAVDEX OX LOCAL OPTION IX NEW ZEALAND. There has been no attempt to misre-' )resont Mr Snowden's written, condemlation of local option or no-license. He ,vms up his review of Canada by saying 128):— "'-CrLEARLV THE EXPEIUEXCE •OF CANADA GIVES LITTLE ENHOPE THAT IX OITU COUNTRY THE PO>Vlvll OF LOCAL OPTION '\VOULD BB .15XERC13KD IX SUCH AWAY AS TO LESSEN THE AMOUNT OF DRINKING OJI BRUNKENNESfci " Is .that not conclusive*? Coming to New Zealand. Mr Snowden says:— "TEN YEARS OF LOCAjv OPTION IN NEW ZEALAND HAS VPPARICNTLY DONIC XmiTING WHATEVER TO .TiESSEX THE AM<--TXT OF IMUXK CONSbMP-

TIO- ' ' .. with six areas -under no-ncense. All* Snowden rocs on io say:— •'NITIONALLY THE CONbLMPTION OF I>MNK IX .NEW ZEALAND HAS INCREASED AN D THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS FOB DRUNKENNESS HAS INCREASED ALSO." . , . . . Mr Snawden. here emphasises what has frequently been written that prohibition and "nn-licenfcc, arc barren or good results and utterly valueless as a f temperance- reform. Then comes ins conclusion of the whole mutter, irom au English Socialist's ™ w Po in "IN THE FACE OF ALL FACTS WE FAIL TO FTNT> MLC" ENCOURAGEMENT TO HOPE THAT LOCAL OPTION ™> MUCH TO LESSEN THE VOLUME OF THE DRINK TRADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM." (Page 131). And the person who purports to epeak for Mr Siiowden has the impudence to say that this tiuqtatioiv was. altered by deletins •"England," which, by the wav, does not appear, aud inserting "New Zealand." MR SNOWDEN ON PROHIBITION. Summing up, the author of "Socialism and the Drink Question' says (page--133) '*>UR REVIEW OF THE OPERATION AND RESULTS OF PROHIBITION AND LOCAI, OPTION IN THE UNITED STATES, CAN ABA, NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA HAS NOT SHOWN A MEASLRJ> OF SUCCESS WHICH WOULi> JUSTIFY US IN HOPING IHAI MUCH AVOULD COME J'ROM LOCAL OPTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, EVEN IF THE CONDITIONS HERE WERE ASi I;A\OURABLE AS IN' THE OTHER COUNTRIES MENTIONED." Mr Snowden quotes approvingly Sir George Turner, formerly Premier ot Victoria, who says:—"'ln my opinion there is no surer way of making peop.o take to liquor than to close all the hotels and make* the traffic illegal.' Ho also quotes Gladstone against the mere reduction of licenses, who said: —''It it preiends to the honour of a remedy it is little better than' an imposture. Notv- I am told Mr Snowdeu did liot quote Mr Gladstone in connexion Tj'ji" the suppression of licenses. '1 ho suppression of licenses is either prohibition or local no-Hcense, yet on Page I'd' Mr Snowden himself says: "The suppression of a licenso will not destroy the drink appetite," and remarks upon tho hopelessness of the- suppression of licenses as the remedy. "Want is Mr Snowden'e remedy? It h in his book, tho nmnicipaV«"tion of the liquor business, for he adds:— ' "the public must provide FOR THE SATISFACTION OF TtlF. DEMAND FOR LIQUOR IN MODERATION SO LONG AS THb PEOPLE CONSIDER MODERATE DHINKING TO BE A LEGITIMATE AND REASONABLE THING." and ho shows that there are- factors in the drink question' which restrictive legislation cannot touch in tho least. Besides, Mr Snowden knows, and all sensible men and women know, that tho moderate use of alcoholic beverages is perfectly "legitimate a n( ] reasonable, hence his desiro to provide for the satisfying of the demand for liquor in moderation. Had not Mr Snowden been engaged by tho Prohibition Party to ailTocato tueir cause, he -would have been

denounced by them for what bo had written in his ikjoks about prohibition and prohibitionists. all(J dublied tho servant ot the brewer and the hireling of the liquor traffic. THE CONCLUSION. -\i r tijjowden is in a false- position. Ho'told* tho people of England lot>t year that if «i'l tho working men became t^■■piotal'.ers they would hare tso Cbanccllor of the hxcheqner fr&sh taxation to make up tbo liquor contribution upon noino t-ommodity in common use among tho wo.kinsr cia.seps. No.v Ik , comes to -New Zealand, Inreu i.v "the Prohibition Party to help them to make .-'ll New Zealand prohibition, know in t: thot the revenue required b> make up what prohibition would deetrov will fa.i m>oll the %%-orking <-lnswo or oth'M - taxpayer*. And wo are told iMr siiuwuon denounces tho prohibitionlist for i.':yi::.q; that prohibition will pro'hif'ii. it , ' n'.K)tes a passage from ado I livoranre- if "the Rev. W. J. Daw*on. and use-.- all h*U ifov.-ers of eloquenoc to cruhii ihi.s poor reverend gentleman (Farm 11 0. "This extract is quoted,"' ue * :I "as~.\ typical specimkn of THJi I!K€KLESS AND rNFOLWD]II> STATJSMEXTS MAD?; UV ].'AXATJCAL AND KMOTIONAL WO U LD-BK TE.M PER AXC X li HI I'dPvMEKS. SUCH STATEMENTS COXTRIHUTE NOTHING TO THE 'DfSCCsSION OP -s. GP.HAT AND DIFFIDILT PROBLEM. ttWV SKIU'K ONLY TO AS ABSOLUTELY UNTKI'STWORTHY 'H7Z ADVOCATED OF PROHIBITION. ,; WJion a man writes that of prohibition and prohibitiouiste, and takew their money, what would you say about him? Tiio more you v.'hip certain quadrupeds The better.they like you. it is said, and you cannot show your appreciation of Mr Snowdeifs opinion of prohibitionists better than by striking out the bottom line on both ballot papers on election dar. (.PCBLISRKI) lIV AnRANGEMEXT.)