WAR SPIRITS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 18, 20 July 1918, Page 8

WAR SPIRITS

*. . TO THB EDITOR. Sir,—'Merchant" (so-called) reminds i?? J ,m]i ,eh of Ncro > who is said to* have fiddled while Rome was burning. I have never felt quite convinced about "Merchant's" right to claim such a title; now I feel sure he is no merchant at all, but merely a "pedlar," whose stock-in-trade is very small. Fancy a man assuming to enlighten the public spending time and using space to bring "r my name nine times in one letter Now, Sir, I make no boast at all about my name nor about the prefix I have been honoured to wear for over 30 years, but, sir, I am not ashamed of either. When I ask you for space to j supply -" a little information to your | readers, I do not change my name to suit my own fancy or to mislead the public. I always have the decency and I manliness to sign my own name-and leave your readers to judge for themselves of the value of what I have ; written. I have never denied the de- ; structive power of alcohol, nor contended against its use for its legitimate purpose, but to attempt to use fuel for a machine as food for a man, or a high explosive as a drink for human beings, is surely madness in the extreme. When "Merchant" says that I "knew that no _cargo was excluded 1 by the liquor shipments" he either says what he does not know to be true or else he tries to befog rather than enlighten your readers. ! The data available show beyond doubt that urgent merchandise is left almost i at the ship's side in Britain while liquor is shipped in superabundance. A wholesale firm in London wrote to a client in New Zealand on 20th March, 1918, as follows :—"We hoped to make a ship- ; ment to you by the s.s. —- from Glasgow; but, owing to the large quantities of Government supplies going by this vessel, the brokers advised us that they could not deal with long-distance traffic. The shortage of tonnage is affecting us very seriously here now." This very ship, however, brought over 72,000 gallons of spirits. D. R. Caldwell wrote to the Waikato Independent over his own name on 27th June, 1918, as follows :—"I note from the papers that Mr. Burns, president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, speaking in reference ' and practically in support of the large, shipments of whisky to the Dominion, stated that steamers leaving London could not get full cargoes for New Zealand. My firm received a cable from Home saying they had shipped by that steamer £15,000 of goods (drapery and clothing) and had £30,000 worth : shut out or left behind in dock. By a , later cable they stated £50,000. of goods | in dock .awaiting steamer which may ; sail about 15th July. Our letter advices state that there is a tremendous struggle | amongst: all shippers for space, and that ! the Admiralty has regulated space ac- ; cording to the volume of goods shipped Iby firms in previous years. The Admiralty has now allotted only one steamer a month for all New Zealand, so one can imagine the fight for space, which entirely controverts Mr. Burns's statement. I do not. suggest that. the importation of clothing and drapery is ; absolutely essential under the present shipping crisis, but I think that whisky in large consignments is even of less importance or necessity, and if the shipping difficult-' is to continue or. get worse there * <uld be some limitation ! of non-essentials." , There is abundance of evidence against the "prisoner at the bar"—the liquor! traffic—and it will be tendered as the witnesses are called in due course. "Merchant" had therefore better get ready for the capital charge against his client, instead of wasting his opportunity by trying to mislead the public with his mere camouflage.—l am, etc., :.-■■' JOHN DAWSON. 20th July. ..:'