NO-LICENSE TACTICS.

Evening Star, Issue 14628, 26 July 1911, Page 2

NO-LICENSE TACTICS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —“ Progress,” in 'his letter of the 20ih inst., purporting, as he expresses it, to knock endways by a Prohibitionist version of ancient history the passage I had quoted from the ‘ Spectator,’ misses the crucial point. He does not attempt to ex- ' plain the broad fact that the teetotal nations, the Mohammedans, among whom is the unspeakable Turk, and the mild Hindus, a subject race, have not contributed in the past to the advancement of civilisation as have the four great nations—the Jews, Greeks, Ptomans, and Teutons—each in their several capacity: and that these nations were consumers of alcohol in one form or another, though by no means, as “ Progress ” insinuates, to excess. That this superiority of the moderate drinkers over the abstainers is no mere coincidence is fully borne out by the following utterance of the late Sir James Paget, one of the most eminent members of the medical profession : —“ That which is most to be desired is a national power and will for good working and good thinking, and a long duration of the period of life fittest for these; and facta show that these are more nearly attained by the people that drink alcohol than by those vho do not.” Admittedly the Jews were a temperate race, bnt they were not Prohibitionists. Their Scriptures teem with passages in praise of wine, in one instance speaking of it as “ cheering God *nd man.” “ Progress ” says that modern science has made it plain that alcohol using decreases brain and nerve power; but Professor Dixon, writing in the ‘ Nineteenth Century Magazine ’ affirms that when alcohol is used in moderation injurious effects have yet to be proved. He then proceeds to cite the daily allowance of whisky, wine, or beer which would be considered scientifically moderate, and it is such as would be rarely exceeded by the great hulk of consumers. Dr Park, in his recent work ‘ The Case for Alcohol: or The Action of Alcohol on Body and Soul,’ says: “Alcohol is one of Nature's favorites ; she has packed it full of every good attribute; hence the temptation to abuse the use of it.” The pen name assumed by the writer leads one to suppose that be is of opinion that the placing of the whole Dominion tinder the ban of prohibition as to alcoholic stimulants would lead to progress. Every man is entitled to his own opinion, arid mine is that, on the contrary, such an arbitrary law would deter many good and desirable families from settling' .in New Zealand, and would cause the exodus of many already here. Also it would infallibly lead to a lamentable shrinkage in the number of tourists coming to these shores, for whom New Zealand should have manifold attractions, while the money disbursed by .them and the reports cari sad away of the goodly lend ora valuable

contributions to our prosperity. But these visitors are sensitive to any infringement of their libertv, or interruption to their customary habits of diet. Already they complain of inconvenience when they find themselves in a No-license district. " Pro- I pess " and his co-believers have opposed to them all the forces i-esiding m the citadel of an age-long habit and an irresistible impulse of mankind.—-I am, etc., Anti-No-ljcensb. . July 24.