Page 2 Advertisements Column 7

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 82, 8 April 1919, Page 2

SIR ROBERT STOUT AND CRIME. • ONE-THIRD DUE TO DRINK (?) This is the assertion of Sir Robert Stout. Although the estimate is merely matter of conjecture, ici, us examine it as if it were correct. There were, according to\he Official Year Book, 890 of a prison population at the end of 1916. Some 200 of these were conscientious objectors who were in gaol for military offences involving no moral turpitude. They were in gaol nov, for drink But, for tho sake of argument, say there aro 800 in gaol, one-third of whom, to accept Sir Robert's estimate, are there through liquor. One-third of 800 is 265, and our population is 1,150,000, so that this represents 24 per 100,000 of the population. NOW MAKE THIS COMPARISON: A!! Prisoners. New Zealand 80.9 per 100,000 Maine (70 years under Prohibition) 93.3 per 100.000 Now Maine has been under Prohibition for»7o years,-and yet it has more prisoners in its gaols than New Zealand according to its population. What's the good of Prohibition when in 70 years it makes for moro crime and immorality than New Zoaland is able to show? Prohibition, therefore, on a Prohibition basis of argument, produces crime and criminals. Why support it? I SIR ROBERT'S OTHER STATEMENT. When the first electorate went " dry "in 1894, the drink bill of - New Zealand was £3 Is Id per head of the population; in 1916 it had risen to £3 16s. 'These figures are from the issued statements of the Prohibitionists. Now, Sir Robert said at Nelson, and repeated it at Napier, that " all forms of serious crime were diminishing in New Zealand." The statistics of New Zealand support Sir Robert's statement that all forms of crime were diminishing, and all the time the consumption of liquor was increasing. Yet Sir Robert would have u_ believe in one breath that drink produces crime, and then, while consumption of liquor increases, we are told that crime diminishes; and so the ad absurdum is reached by such argument. Sir Robert Stout may say that his statement about-"all forms of serious crime decreasing in New Zealand " has been taken out of itssetting, but that does not alter the fact. If ho now says that the diminishing crime is due to the Education system, ho should say: "Then givo us more Education, and not Prbhibition, for Prohibition produces crime." t Prohibition makes for Unemployment and Crime, and crime leads to disaster to any State wherever tried. Maine is the most stagnant, unhappy domestically, and most criminal of all Prohibition States.. Let all electors avoid the evils of Prohibition by voting for Continuance. ..'■ " ' I„_LL.lJ__L_....^_L1.!.r»Tl~:???y^.___ JL_! J JJ.1 J JJ.'-L-UB / ( SIR ROBERT STOUT AND PERSONAL LIBERTY. Sir Robert Stent has always been a staunch defender of the rights of minorities and the privileges of personal liberty. j ' There are occasions when personal liberty has to be sacrificed for die good of all; such as the liberty of one man, like the German Kaiser, to plunge a whole nation into war. * PERSONAL LIBERTY. There are Personal Liberties belonging to you with which no man; or woman, or any majority, has any right to interfere. These personal liberties are summed up in the verses of Scripture: " Let no man judge you in meat or in drink"; and "Stand fast in the liberty whereby you have been made free."- . . When Sir Robert wrote his famous essay on Personal Liberty to the Timaru Herald, he was congratulating that paper on the stand ■• it had always made for Freedom of Citizens and the Rights of Personal Liberty during the whole course of its fifty years* existence. THE RIGHTS OF MODERATES. On the day that Sir Robert wrote to that paper, it had a leading article containing a defence of Moderate! in regard to the Liquor Question: ' " It is absurd that ninety-nine men who do not drink to exoess should be deprived of all alcoholic ;- refreshment so that the hundredth may be sober ' without virtue. A practical middle course should not be beyond disoovery." DON'T BE BLUDGEONED! , Then came Sir Robert's magnificent piece -of eloquence en Liberty:— " Let us strive as good citizens to see that we have Liberty.' Whenever in the past there has been an attempt to bludgeon people into conformity with the majority evil has resulted. We need to' remember this to-day, for there seems to •be inculcated in the Dominion by many of our cituens, that whatever the majority says should be done ought to be done. It is the nation that has recognised that minorities have rights, and that the oppression of those non; conforming to the majority is wrong, that has led, and will lead, the way of progress, of civilisation, and of peace. : , " Belitve mo, " Yours very truly, (Signed) " ROBERT STOUT. "Wellington, July, 1914." Such an appeal as that by the Chief Justice ought te tie Ginblazoned in gold upon every public edifice to kesp the People alive to their Liberties and all thnt makes for Civilisation ud Progress. Prohibition is au attempt to Bludgeon the People. \