NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN. REV, L. ISITT AND MR TAYLOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 95, 19 October 1908, Page 2

NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN. REV, L. ISITT AND MR TAYLOR.

ASSERTIONS AND DENIALS. LAn after-church meeting was held at larana^-street Methodist Church last night at which the Rev. Leonard Isitt and Mr. T. E. Taylor delivered addresses. Mr Isitt recognised that the majority ot those present were almost all total abstainers, or at least sturdy advocates of no-hcense; but they would and could register their votes against the liquor traffic. He did not believe that victory would now be much longer delayed. Only seventeen years ago the no-license, voters in New Zealand numbered 48,000 ; at the last vote their numbers had swollen to 200,000 •Notwithstanding the three-fifths ma-, jonty, yet he believed victory would attend them in the coining poll. Wherever he had been he had found the public with the movement. The people had now seemed to realise that the only cure tor tho drinking habit lay in the ex-, trnction of the liquor trade. Mr. T. E. Taylor made a strong plea, for a no-licenso vote in the interests of' the children, who were now not only robbed of their righte, but were exposed to the temptation of the saloons. He exhorted all present at the meeting to make themselves missionaries by undertaking to bring along each five persons to the meetings, for that would inspire and encourage those who spoke at the gatherings. He denied the allegations made Against Luvereargill that no-license had been followed by more bankruptcies for it had been clearly proved, that not one of the ca6&3 that had come before the Official Assignee had originated in the no-licence area. Pleading for the children, Mr. Taylor said if he thought the blight of drunkenness would fall upon one of his own children, he would pray that God would take it, and he yielded to none in his love for his children. There were no combinations of circumstances that made for the wreckage of children as surely as did the liquor traffic, and as long as it was left an open traffic so surely would it claim its thousands of victims every year. •A STREET MEETING. An unusually large number of citizens assembled in Ingestre-street on Saturday evening to hear the arguments of various no-license advocates. Mr. R. A. Wright said that a number of moderate people urged the No-license Party to reform the trade and not destroy it altogether. The difficulty was that the trade was impatient of reform. Every suggestion offered was declined. Take tho barmaid ■question : The Liquor Party would not agree to the 'abolition, of barmaids, becanse the baimaid was not an unattractive feature of the business. When advertised for she must be young and prepossessing. The Liquor Party desired to run the business in their own way, and ma-ko as much money as possible, regardless of consequences. The Rev. L. M. Isitt also addressed the meeting. The Rev. Leonard Isitt will address meetings at Taranaki-street Church this evening and the three following eyenings.