DRINK AND THE SOLDIER

Evening Star, Issue 16049, 28 February 1916, Page 2

DRINK AND THE SOLDIER

POSITION OF THE HOTELS. EARLY OOSING OPPOSED. 3AS. ALLEN 1 . £SPKCf «il. TO THE ' SlAK.'] CHRISTCiivJRCH, February 26. This morning a deputation from the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers' Association waited on the Hon. James Allen (Minister of Defence). Mr E. Nordon, the association's secretary, was the only speaker. He said that unfortunately a party in the community were making use of the war in order tend vance the Claims of Prohibition. He wished to make a respectful protest against such action. Use was made also of the action of tho Federal Minister of Defence in closing hotels in Australia at 6.p.m. .The Minister took that action because it.was a time of national emergency. A riot occurred, and some stops had to be taken to put it down. The same steps would have been taken in any other country in- tho same circumstances. As a matter of fact, the Minister (Senator Pearce) now had given instructions that hotels should be closed at 8 p.m. Tho Prohibition party wero trying to use the war to penalise hotelkeepers not only in Christchurch, but also in all'other- parts of New Zealand. South Australia had endorsed the 6 o'clock closing principle at a referendum, but that only applied to rural districts, where there were practically no hotels. In the city of Adelaide, which contained the greater part of the total hotels, the voting was three to one in favor of 10 o'clock, or of remaining as they were. In any easel the position Was different in New Zealand. In Christchurch, and, he believed in other parts, including Wellington, there was almost an utter absence of crime. The people here seemed hardly to know that a war was taking place, and unless a national emergency occurred it was hoped that the Government would not take notice of interviews and partisan deputations. The Licensing Act compelled licensed victuallers in the Dominion to maintain expensive hostelries in the main streets of cities, where heavy rents had to be paid. If a part of their means of living were taken away hardship would be imoosed on a responsible and respectable section of the community. The licensed victuallers were amongst the largest taxpayers in tho country. They were loyal citizens—just as loyal as tho section to whom he referred in his opening remarks. There certainly was no necessity for restrictions of the kind asked for in this Dominion, which had loss crime than there was in any other part of the British Empire. The Minister, in reply, said that tho members of the deputation knew the difficulties of the whole problem. It was a question for the country to deal with, ami not for an individual Minister. He could merely place before the Prime Minister an d h i s other colleagues the ar«uments set forth. The question had been considered by Government from time to time, but they had not considered it wise to adopt a ? y ?} her Precautions than that no liquor j should be allowed on troop trains, no] bottles should bo sold to soldiers in nni-1 form over a bar, and nobody should bnv i bottles over a bar to give to soldiers'. It was for the .Government to say whether or not further war regulations should be imposed. In the meantime, as Minister of Defence, it was his duty to ask every citizen to help in that very difficult situation. He appealed also to the licensed victuallers to help the Defence Department. Ho wished them to help in respect to both the recruit and the returned Soldier. They could A'ery materially help, and, in helping, to protect the soldier from his own weakness and from temptations that arise from would-be kindness they would protect their own interests. He might say that there was a temptation to introduce legislation to stop shouting ' altogether. The licensed victuallers could help to check the evil as far as possible. Many young men left their i homes to enlist. They went straight out into the world, and were subjected to ail its temptations, and it was easy for them to fall under evil influences and to be led astray. The licensed victuallers could help the Defence authorities by preventing that kind of thing. The greatest difficulty, however, was to deal with the wounded, sick, nervy men who returned. Uniortunately, a scheme had not vet been devised for finding proper employment T° men ' dQrin g convalescence. They drifted into the hotels. They mi»ht not take sufficient liquor to make it obvious that they had had too much, but they took more thdn the medical officers felt their health and strength would stand. There again the licensed victuallers could aelp the department, and,'ho might say ilso help themselves. If the feeling that was growing m the community ,»rew much stronger, and continued until another licensing po 1 was taken, ho did not know what would happen. Ho did not say .hat by way of a threat, but he simply put the facte as they occurred to him. THE OTHER SIDE. PROHIBITION PARTY'S REQUEST. MINISTER RELATES HIS DIPFICUL TIES. A deputation promoted by the W C T TJ comprising several ladies and gentlemen,' including Messrs H. G. Ell and J M Combs M.P.s, waited on the Minister Mr I 3 Ttt til?' V Were introcluce d by m M rrl a ? ob , e , rt ?, said the deputation asked: (1) Ihat all treating'' of soldiers be prohibited under the Defence Act; (2) that all hotels in New Zealand be closed at 6 p.m. during war time, or, failing that, that all hotels in the vicinity of military I camps or frequented by soldiers be closed at 6 p.m.; (3) that all hotels near convalescent camps of soldiers be declared out of bounds; (4) that no liquor be allowed at entertainments to soldiers. Miss Roberts said it had been stated that an attempt would be made to introduce wet canteens into camps if six o'clock closing were adopted. She implored the Ministcr not to countenance such a step. The Rev. J. Patterson said it was particularly on behalf of the great mass of the men in order to prevent them falling into temptation that the deputation's request was made. If the Government gave a lead in this matter, the vast majority of the people would realise that the Government had done the right thing in leading the people to practise economy. ° Mr Ell, M.P., said that many mothers were reluctant to allow their sons to enlist owing to the habit in vogue of treating soldiers in uniform. Parliament had given the Minister the power to accede to the deputation's request, and the general opinion of the country was that the hours of sale of liquor during the war should be restricted, and penalties imposed for the treating of soldiers. Mr Isitt declared that as one who had talked with all sorts and conditions of men he did not believe there was one of them who was not in favor of the treating of soldiers being prohibited, and the vr-st majority were in favor of the early closing -of hotels.

The Minister said he had just told a deputation from the other side that their representations would be placed before the Prime Minister and his colleagues, because it was not in the power of one Minister to decide the matter. The representation* of this deputation would also be placed before Cabinet. He wished it were in hi-, power to protect the- young soldiers, W these young men went out of New Zealand to temptations which could not bo controlled from hero. So he had made it his policy '■/> tvain men so that they would nave suffi* .rr> (strength of character to resist sucl 'tiad not altogether sotuceeded, but he felt convinced that there was not the drinking now that there_ was at the beginning of the war. It was impossible altogether to prevent evils in New. Zealand, and let them not forget that there were temptations out of New Zealand over which New Zealand had no control. Certain things could be largely remedied by legislation, and if Cabliet thought that legislation would assist trr.s trouble, doubtless action would be taken. The Government had up to the present resisted the introduction of wet .canteens into camps, and so far as he was con-

cerned ■he would continue toi resist it. Great efforts wore being made to introduce the wet canteen, and he might require the backing up of tho organisations represented by the deputation to resist the attempt. He had always opposed the introduction of the wet canteen, and he did not think there was any justification for its invvroduction wr. As far as he was conearned, he did not wish to distinguish between the seedier and the lian in the matter of treating. If the prohibition of shouting were introduced, it must be universal. (Hear, hear.) The soldiers must not be treated as children. Ho wanted to make them strong enough to resist temptation. He hoped no attempt would be made in a contrary direction. The matter of treating would, however, be placed before Cabinet at the earliest opportunity. The question of 6 o'clock closing had already been considered by Cabinet, who had decided not to take definite action in the matter. Cabinet had made an appeal to the publicans to | restrict the salo of liquor, and to some | extent that appeal had been answered. The shutting up of hotels in the evening, however, would not answer his purposes. Unfortunately they now' had on their hands the problem of the returned soldier who was convalescing with plenty of time on his hands, who drifted into hotels for tho sake of company. Mr Allen confessed he had not found means to cope with this difficulty, and if members of tho deputation could assist him with tions as to means of providing these convalescent . men with healthy occupations, which would protect them from the evils surrounding them, he would welcome such. He knew how much iri earnest the deputation were, and he hoped they would realise how much in earnest he was. It was somewhat difficult to say which was the right road to go in the matter. Once the way was clear.to them, he felt sure Cabinet would see the right road to e;o. He hoped that all their united efforts would go towards making bettor provision for returned soldiers and men in training so as to protect them from evils. No effort on his part would be relaxed in that direction. ANOTHER DEPUTATION. DRINKING AND RECRUITING. The third deputation consisted of the Mayor (Mr H. Holland), Professor Chilton, and Mr E. E. Stark. The deputation announced themselves as not connected with any organisation. The Mayor said they beli?ved the drink evil was militating .against recruiting. If the Christchurch hotels had been closed at 6 o'clock the night before, the people, instead of drinking, would have been at the recruiting meeting. In this country the people were drinking- and attending picture shows and other amusements, as if tho country were not at war. It was the duty of the Government to 'show the people that the country was at war. Professor Chilton said he was an antiProhibitionist, but he and others not connected with Prohibition had arrived at the conclusion that excessive drinking had to be stopped, because it was affecting recruiting. 'The people were not taking the war seriously. The night before the picture shows had been crowded, whilst the recruiting meeting vras a frost. Men going up to Trent-ham were getting rained through the drink business. No interest, however powerful, should be permitted to affect the country's welfare. If treating of soldiers were stopped it would be a small step towards assisting recruiting. Until the people were made to realise that the country was at war it Was impossible to make a success of any recruiting scheme. The Minister promised that the deputation's representations would be placed before his colleagues. He thought Dr Chilton had, without meaning it, exaggerated the evils attending young men iri camps. He wished to remove such impression, so that it would not go abroad. There had been a certain amount of drinking on the part of soldiers, but in the large percentage of cases the men had not only greatly improved physically by their training in camp, but they "had greatly improved morally. That was a big thing foMiim to say, but he knew the influence at Trentham, and he knew the influence and hold the more balanced men had on those of weaker character. On the whole, the influence was for good. He did not want mothers to think otherwise. The men who came into town and gave way to drink would probably do so in any case, if they were soldiers or not. He had attempted by moral persuasion and by war regulations to remedy the trouble fie looked forward to the winter, however, with a great deal of apprehension unless something could be done towards assisting these men. Cabinet would very carefully consider the important questions raised. Mr Holland said he did not think the soldiers should be specially singled out for special treatment; civilians should be treated the same. The Minister said those were his views.