STRIKING ADDRESS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1407, 6 April 1912, Page 10

STRIKING ADDRESS

BISHOP CROSSLEY OX DIUNK. (By Telegraph— Special Correspondent.) Auckland, April 4. In tho course of his last midday Lenten address on Thursday, Bishop Crossley made some remarks upon the subject of excessive drinking. He thought that the time had come when the men of Auckland ought to be brought into conference, and, while he was not going to bring it about, he was rcadv to co-opsrcvte in the movement to ask:" What were they going to do with their city? 1 would ask the men on both sides to "meet—business men and Labour leaders, prohibitionists and publicans— beneath the Cross to see if we oaunot do something to stem this tide of wrong. 1 will venture to givo you your platform. Aim at two tilings and only two. Some years ago I was talking to a working man in England, and he said to me: 'Wo could siop three-quarters of tho drinking if wo could only arrange by legislation that every publichouse has plain plate-glass windows and plain plateglass doors.' I believe he is right. If a. man were not ashamed of taking his glass of beer, let him take it before the public. Let him stand at the bar as ho would stand at a counter of a cake shop, and let him bo seen by everyone. Then," he added, "I think wo, would modify cur drinking custom." The Bishop went on to remark that he was speaking as tho publican's friend, and not as his opponent, but he must ask: "Why was it that t'lie;e places of drinking were so muffled up?" The Bishop then proceeded (o stato that his other plank was to ensure the supply of pure liquor. "1 say to (he Temperance party of this country," he continued, "yon "have not done as you ought iu this respect. You have been content to see the worst conditions that can prevail. Some of you have even made the boast that the wore? the prevailing conditions of the liquor traffic, the bstUr it is for the Temperance party. Gentlemen, 1 ull you that that is not moral. We ought, to demand pure drink. \\V know what happens to much of the liquor Ilia! is at present supplied. 1 won't n-.i- Ih'.i word 'adultwaleil,' l.nlt 'manipulated.' (Laughter.) ].<.(: (1n,,,, aim at open public-hou.scs and puro drink, carry prohibition if they would, but iionl let. them wait lor seven years in contentment with the present conditions."