UP-TO-DATE BUSINESS.

Evening Star, Issue 12623, 30 September 1905, Page 12

UP-TO-DATE BUSINESS.

TO THE EDITOH. Sir, —In your issue of September 26 your correspondent "Barney" revives the re venue cry in connection with the No-license question. I answer: It is not " up-to date business" to place money or revenue is of more importance than flesh and blood. The day* to do that hare gone by for ever in this colony. The .reason why New Zealand is the admiration and copy book of the erriQsed world to-day is because in her advanced social laws and legislation the welfare of tbe minds and bodies of men has been placed before the question of property Out of the three million, pounds that the people of New Zealand spend annually on •ilcohbfic liquor, the Government and local Ixidies only receive some seven hundred thousand in revenue. When speaking on the maternity home question in Dtmedin, the Bight Hon. the Premier stated that "each child's life was worth £300." Now, there are 1,000 deaths every year in New Zealand directly attributable to alcoholic poison. No wonder Esther Mathew in has day described alcohol as "a wolf gorged with human blood.*" One thousand kves at £3OO each, and we shall have £300,000 saved by the abolition of the sale of liquor right at once. Of all places in the world, these colonies can toast afford to sacrifice annually thousands of lives of their citizens. Father Hays, speaking in the Garrison Hall, declared: "The life and welfare of the poorest and most neglected child in out Otty are of more value than all the T'sed "interests of the liquor traffic'' ?,"-ob!e, true, and Christian calculation this! 1 submit, therefore, if the carrying) of Nolicense means the preventing! of 500 young men annually from commencaag the life of intemperance, which we see so many pursuing all around us, then it will overbalance a thousand-fold any financial loss possible to the colony through the shrinkage of drink dues. Three million pounds spent by the people in better wage-retumsog industries, in the various reproductive and beneficial avenues of trade and business, will give a mighty' impetus to New Zealand aH round. Cardinal clearly distinguished the injurious effect of the Bquor traffio when he said: "I wish weQ to aH trades, but with one reserve. I hope tbe baker wiE bake more bread. I hope the clothier may sell more yards of broadcloth, and make more coats every year that he fives. I hope that every farmer wnl sell more wheat. But I cannot say mmy heart and conscience that I hope the browcr wQI brew more beer, or tbe dUsJaQers distil more ] spirits, or the publicans seO mote of both. | Then is a limit to my good wishes. I - *'i that all trades may prosper except The prosperity that I wish to that teade is that it should cease." '.trt "Barney" need not tor. Thesboh- :> of licenses has never caused airy"" finacd crisis" to any country ortbstriot. The nnty financial result I have heard of is that tradesmen's bills are paid) better, and the housewife haa more money to spend on home' comforts and necessities, and John and 'Mary wear better boots and warmer dothes, and jtheees joy in the home*—l am,vete.,-' : "' Fwlatf. . September 29.