NO-LICENSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 337, 26 October 1908, Page 3

NO-LICENSE.

A most-interesting address on certain aspects of No-License,' as instanced in' Invercargill, was delivered by Mr. J. G. Baxter, of Invercargill, to a very large and deeply interested congregation at tlio Trinity Methodist .Church, Newtown, last evening, 'l'ho Rev. W. J. Williams presided. The lecturer referred to the old days at Invercargill, and to the revulsion of feeling, which the moral sense of the community having at last been shocked by the tragic results of the drink curse, finally led to No-License being carried. Invercargill, unfortunately, was no worse than other places, but it had found cause to roview the position, and, in spite of the predictions of the opponents of No-License, buildings had increased, trade improved, rates had not increased, and the moral tone of the community had been elevated.' Despite the. fact that tho closing of,, tho open bar ; did not legally prevent persons from procuring private supplies from outside sources, the Customs returns showed that the consumption of liquor bad fallen off considerably. Proportionately, tho speaker contended, the Now. Zealand drink bill would bo lessoned by £2,000,000, were No-License generally adopted. The experience of Invercargill showed that men who had led dissolute lives had latterly become respectablo .citizens, and religious and philanthropic institutions had been stimulated by .the improvement in the moral tone of the people. The speaker concluded by expressing a hope that Newtown would again declare for No-Licenso. Tho chairman, while thanking Mr. Baxter for his address, referred to the' conversion of •the "Southland News" from its former attitude of, opposition; to No-License, to that of cordial support, as the result of observations upon the working of No-License in Invercargill, and remarked that if it were possiblo to convert a newspaper, it was possible to convert anyone. , Mr. Baxter will deliver an address from tho Queen's Statue at noon to-day.