"LIQUOR AND LABOUR."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 October 1908, Page 8

"LIQUOR AND LABOUR."

ADDRESS BY REV.' L. M. ISITT. Wesley Church was Well filled last night, when the Rev. Leonard Isitt delivered the second of a series of No-License addresses. His subject on this occasion was " Liquor and Labour," and'his remarks were listened to with' a great deal of interest. The cliairman, : Mr. J. Huteheson, in the course of a few introductory remarks, stated that, whenever he saw a wage-earner fooling with liquor, he always said to himself that that man would, never be able fo make a competency for his old age.,, The lecturer, who was accorded a hearty reception, prefacwThis remarks by statiiig that he, wanted to drive home to the heart of the. workers that he "was in full sympathy with'them in their efforts to secure economic reforms. Sweating was* in his eyes, an iniquity—a damnable wrong. It was most absurd for .anyone to hold that clergymen were tho champions of Capital. 1 , Ho ventured to say that if a-poll were taken among tho clergy, at any rate among the Nonconformist ministry in-New Zealand and the Old Country, it would bo found that there was aa large a proportion of keen sympathisers with tlie workers and enthusiastic reformers as in any other class. It Was his opinion that reformers must make their start, and would find a great 'deal of their success'-among the workers. : He had no great faith in the aristocracy _as leaders of reform: high living went with low thinking. Personally he was intensely anxious to rob the poor man of his,, beer,- so that he might no longer,, remain' as poor as he. now, was. . Every shilling that a worker handed, over.' the hotel', bar went to build up the biggest monopoly in the world—a monoply which concentrated the wages of the workers into the pockets of : wealthy, men. In New Zealand tho . chief : cities were dominated by three or four : liquor-selling wealthy. Jews. ,It was an absolutely- vicious condition of things. 'If the liquor traffic-were wiped out it would not bring about; the Millennium, but it would remove the Chief hindrance to all the problems of the present day. ' In conclusion the lecturer repeated that' lie emphatically" believed that before rapid progress in all sorts of economic reforms could be made, the liquor traffic .would • first of all have ' to be crippled. 'In reply, to questions, Mr. Isitt said .that if No-License were, carried at Home the land upon which hops and barley were' now ground would be utilised .for some . other ' purpose, and some adjustment would be devised whereby'any loss would'be quickly made up 1 . Tien,* again, he did-not believe that, if No-License were carried, children would come'into con- 1 tact with, drink in • the homes. There was, Mr. Isitt said.-in rreply to another question, ho- evidence iito 1 prove that the wine .which Christ made Was intoxicating; it was a..matter of inference", 'and the inference was all on tho side of the. advocates'of No-License. After-several other questions had been answered, the meeting concluded.