HOW PROHIBITION WORKS IN THE STATES.

Evening Star, Issue 9775, 3 August 1895, Page 4

HOW PROHIBITION WORKS IN THE STATES.

A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR'S VIEW'H

[FIiOM Ol!K PAULIAMBNTARV RkI'ORMB.]

WELLINGTON, Auci'ST 1,

Now tliat licensing legislation and regulation of the traffic is engaging the attention of our legislators, the opinions of the Rev. Dr Joseph Cook, the celebrated Boston divine, who is at present on a visit to this c'ty, Bhould prdvc of special interest. The distinguished visitor has just had an appointment by arrangement with the Rev. Mr Walker (secretary) and several members of the Executive of the New Zealand Alliance. Asked how the Prohibition States of the American Union compared with the licensed States, and how he would expect Prohibition in New Zealand to affect our trade, industry, revenue, and social morals, the Rev. Dr Cook said the general truth was that Prohibition destroyed at least 80 per cent, of the drink traffic ; but he Would put the estimate higher. There was, no doubt, still a little liquor sold in Prohibition districts, but the Prohibition law In Maine was as strictly observed as any law touching an equal amount of property. It was easier to carry Prohibition by statute law than by constitutional ameniment, but the latter was preferred as being more secure. Everyone who travelled in Maine remarked on the prosperity of that State contrasted with those where the liquor traffic provails. It used to be a poor State ; its cities were rude places, and drinking was very prevalent. But under Prohibition Maine had redeemed her character. Pauperism, crime, and taxation had diminished ; industrial interests had prospered; and the illicit sale of liquor had been cut down immcusely. What he had said about Maine could be said about any State where Prohibition had been introduced. The other Prohibition States were Kansas, lowa, and the two Dakotas. He believed that a prohibitory law would most favorably affect New Zealand in all respects. The reason why Prohibition could not be carried in the Northern States was, Dr Cook explains, because the great citie?, such as New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Boston, and Philadelphia dominate tho policy of the States in which thpy are situated. He did not seo why iu New Zealand this dominanca of cities over the rest of the country could not be avoided, because our population was Well distributed, and we had not one great centre poisoning the whole community. If Prohibition were carried by a small majority the administration of the law was not satisfactory. For that reason they preferred constitutional to legislative Prohibition. They could get legislative Prohibition by a bare majority vote of the Legislature, but to carry an amendment of the Constitution a three-fifths majority was necessary.

UAIiK MAJOKITV. V. TtittEE-I'll'TllS. Interrogated as to whether the Temperance party in New Zealand ought to insist upon having a bare majority vote in passing Prohibition. Dr Cook said the law should work consistently. If the bare majority ruled in other matters it ought to rule in temperance questions. Iu America, when they carried local option, it was genera'ly by a less majority than threefifths ; he did hot know, but it was by a bare majority. He thought the rule in New Zealand was rather severe causing a three-fifths majority for local option. INFLUENCE Of THi; uo.muxV; voti.. The opinion in America, according to Dr Took, was that the women's vote would favor Prohibition. The publicans of the United States were as much afraid of the women's vote as a thief was of a policeman Wyoming and Colorado were, so far, the only States that had given the women full sufTrago, but some other States had given them municipal franchise. The experience of the United States was that the women's vote reinforced the Temperance party. With a longer experience New Zealand too would acknowledge the good results of the women's vote. America was now looking to New Zealand for instruction as to what the women's vote did for the Temperance party. Complimentary reference was made to the services rendered to the cause in the United States by such women as Mi°s Willaid, Mrs Hunt of Itoston, and Lady Somerset. The Women's Temperance Union was a mighty power in the land, and was behind all the work of temperance education.

TIOimiANCE IN THK .SCHOOL AND (JHUH'II was touched on, and it was stated that owing to Mrs Hunt's efforts the compulsory imparting of temperance instruction by means of suitable tc.\fc books bad been introduced into the public schools of the country, the peualty for noncompliance being loss of part of the Government grant. There was State option on this subject, but the federal law compelled the use of temperance text books in Territories that had no constitution of their own, as well as in State schools for military and naval training. There were rive millions of voters in the churches of the United e tates, and if these were ts unite thev could bring any political party to terms. The tendenoy of church sjntiment was to rise to the Methodist level, which declares that the traflic cannot be licensed without sin. In conclusion, Dr Cook expressed the opinion that tho great iiope of the temperance reformers of the United States centred round the temperance education of the young, the elevation of the church sentiment, and the inlluence of the women's vote.