Page 15 Advertisements Column 2

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 70, 16 December 1919, Page 15

STARTLING DISCLOSURE. • 1; , • -V i j Marked Increase in Drinking ■ | : Amongst Women , At the recent Licensing Committee Meeting held in Wei- i lington, the Inspector of Police for the district reported thus: "... I regret to have to advise that my Sergeants jihave reported to me, as a result of their observation when 1 ' ! visiting hotels, that drinking by females is very noticeably . ,} 011 the increase in the City, and is becoming exceedingly i i ■ prevalent, even in the company of men in the open bars of ; some of the licensed houses—even as many as thirteen. * /'■ women were found drinking in one of the smaller hotels a few days ago. In mentioning this matter, I wish to say jji that I am not rellecting on the-general conduct of the ; premises where the women arc supplied with liquor. I feel • ; that this information should be given you in the public interests." Unfortunately, this marked increase in drinking amongst | ; women is not confined to Wellington, but has become an un- 1 ' pleasant feature of every district in the Dominion. The prob- I • lem is one which is causing deep concern to those who have | the welfare of the nation at heart. Those who have considered | the matter most fully and carefully have come to the conclu- I "sion that the only way in which to stop the growth of- this dangerous custom is to entirely eliminate the License Trade, and it is probable that the Prohibition vote at the forthcoming election will be considerably increased as a result of the . failure of the Trade to read the signs of the times and set its house in order. ' i ' ~~~ ' ■ ~ " f . ! [ l ' The Trade says; I "Continuance Costs Nothing." | -DOES" IT? " THEN WHO PAYS for the Murders,''; Suicides, Rapes, • Robljcrics, Assaults, Divorces, Lunacy, Charitable Aid, etc., | caused by Liquor? * . I During the last thre.e months it' caused g 1 MURDER 3 SUICIDES (, 6 ASSAULTS , ' 5 RAPES 15 ROBBERIES 9 FORGERIES • 19 DIVORCES. ' i THE TRADE GOT THE MONEY for the Liquor which I caused the Crimes-and THE STATE PAYS FOR THE RE- \ . SULTS. ' | . Labour Takes the Gloves off. 1 What the "Maoriland Worker" thinks ■1 of Prohibition and the Prohibitionists. | TJhe "Maoriland Worker" carries more weight and in- ii fluence with a specific class of tlie community than'any other. i- ; paper in the Dominion—its editor makes a strong appeal in ji, "• favour of giving Prohibition a trial—especially as it costs 'Jj nothing to do so. An editorial in the issue of December 12, m< I 1919, reads as follows:— 1 \ : ' 'OUT WITH THE LIQUOR TRADE. i j|!! The liquor traffic must he destroyed. On December 17 the , : |]j electors.-will .be given a chauce to wipe out the infamy of the |J: open bar, and .we hop© they will use it effectively. This j|j ; ' noxious trade, as it is conducted to-day, is an open sore on }S: " the body social. The people have the choice of voting for the . ,g! ■ • Liquor Trade as it is, for-State Purejiaae and Control of the I: Trade, and for Prohibition, We take it for granted 'that -i; . Labour supporters will vote against Continuance and for State {'8: | Purchase and Control or for Prohibition. As between the last 'al, two issues, it has to be borne in mind that a' vo{e for State' m \ Purchase carries with it compensation to "The Trade," which JS j means from £.10,000,000 to £15,000,000, Is the trade worth ijj; : this to the State? Prohibition is a drastic remedy, doubtless, j ; but it resembles in this respect thg reforms demanded by mi Labour. The moral effect-of it would be a great asset to -|h\ Labour, as it would accustom the people, intensely conservative ■ 3' like all British communities, to revolutionary reforms. It may, 11 be doubted, of course, whether the people are prepared to go ' 1' the length of Prohibition, but it is well worth a trial. For the | next three years social problems will face the people, calling s for a clear head, and with-the liquor trade shelved, the way | would be clear for national stock-taking, and the Labour |* Movement would be justified in calling on Prohibitionists .to |- ' support other much-needed social reforms. Besides, even the ; 1, temporary reign of Prohibition would liave an immense edu- | cational value, and/it is safe to say javen if. the people i : were not prepared to continue they wo'uld never 1 i go back to the open bar, or sanction so morally indefensible a 1! proposition as compensation to the Liquor Trade, licensed as 1 " it is from year to-year only. As a means of national dis- |. cipline, we believe Prohibition would be of great value to the 1.State,'apart from its gain to the national health and wealth, I and would react most beneficially on the Labour Movement, ■ I which is sorely hampered by such vested interests as those of . 'a' the liquor trade. Tlie.se- views, of course, are the editorial | ; ' views of The Worker, uttered in the exercise of its undoubted . | right to an individual opinion, and are not to be understood; ' I as being those of the Labour Party, which is neutral on this |. ' question, leaving the matter to be decided by the electors. We 1 hope that Labour supporters will not hesitate to vote against jj Continuance in any case, and thus remove one of the worst | stumbling-blocks in the path of Labour. : $