HOW TO HELP NATIONAL EFFICIENCY

Evening Star, Issue 16547, 5 October 1917, Page 7

HOW TO HELP NATIONAL EFFICIENCY

- WHY LIQUOR- RESTRICTION MUST BE FACED. . In the course of his spcoli on tho Liquor Restriction Bill, delivered on September 19, the Minister of Internal Affairs said, in part:— What becomes our duty under conditions Mko the present? Surely it is to. look round for the leakages in our economic life. Surely it- is our duty to discover those things which are draining the vitality and /wealth of our people, and to endeavor to stop them while the. time is opportune. When I look round and see the ..sacrifices, ■ that are being. called ■ for from the population, how day by day our sons are going away—many of whom have already given their lives for the Empire--1 ask myself: What is the sacrifice that the people of this .country are called upon to make under .the Bill now before the House?" It is a. sacrifice of what? To give up until this war is over an opportunity of drinking in the evening for four hours.. That is the, sacrifice tho country is asking for. Compare that with the sacrifice that is made by the fathers and mothers who are giving their cons, or bv the sons who are giving their lives, and] is the word “sacrifice” even to be spoken of in such a connection as the proposal that is made in the bill before the House? When we look for opportunities for economy .in connection wi*h our social life, the very first that strikes one when we look into it carefully and impartially is’ the liquor traffic. There are other extravagances in our social life—extravagances in sport, extravagances in food, extravagances in clothing, extravagances in pleasure, extravagances in travel—but noiie of them can bo compared for actual waste with the money that is. thrown away and wasted in connection with the liquor traffic of the country. ~ WHAT LIQUOR PRODUCTION MEANS., .

I shall proceed to prove what I have said in this connection. Sir, during the year 1915 the people of this country -drank 10,865,000 gallons of beer, 163,000 gallons of wine, and 942,000 gallons of spirits. There is the record, and I want to show the House how _ the necessity arises for dealing with this position by comparing figures for-the-year before the war with those for the year after the Wav began Compared with 1913 the consumption of beer showed an increase of 565,000 gallons, of wine an increase of 16,000 gallons, and of spirits an increase of 70,000; and that notwithstanding the fact that during the years 1914 and 1915 a large number of our able-bodied population had left to fight for the Empire. There is the position, sir, which, in aiy opinion, shows the necessity, on the part of the House to take some steps to endeavor to curtail in some way or other this huge waste of money and _ energy. Let me illustrate the position from another point of view. In 1913 tho consumption of beer was 9.64 gallons per head, in 1915 it had risen to 9.98; the consumption of wine rose from 0.14 to 0.15 per head between 1913 and 1915; and the consumption of spirits, notwithstanding the war, rose from 0.81 to 0.85 per head, as between tho year before the war and the second year that the war was in existence. It may be true, as has been said during the course of this discussion, that if the liquor trade were swept away. altogether there would. be a revenue of £1,000.000 to be made up. Well, if that statement is correct (and I believe it is) we have to remember that the money expended in liquor bv the population represents £5,000,000 annually. REDUCED CONSUMPTION A DIRECT , - BENEFIT. In this connection I hold the opinion very strongly .that the money that would be saved by tlm reduction of the consumption of alcohol in New ealand would be a direct benefit—and an indirect one, too—to the population of the country. It would flow in other channels—food, boots, clothing, furniture, doctors, comforts, and, indeed, in every other direction in which that money would certainly be expended if it were saved through the cessation of the consumption of aloohoMc beverages. Let me say at once that I do not sneak as a Prohibitionist.

An Hon. Member: Why not? .Tbp Hon. Mr Russell: I a'rri not a' Prohibitionist. 1 recognise that alcohol has its place as a stimulant, as a medicine, and for other purposes. ■ “AN ABSOLUTE WASTE.”

Xo one will deny that a great deal of drinking that goes , on, especially,in the evening, when drinking is indulged in for dnnking’s sake, is an absolute -waste, and can be saved. Now let me point-out to honorable members two facts. I have told the House that 940,000 gallons of spirits were imported into New Zealand in 1915 and 163,000 gallons of wine. Do honorable membes realise that everything in connection with the cost of those two articles is money sent out of the country? .The whole of it goss out of the country, ana all that is loit to tho people of New Zealand is whatever mav be saved, or whatever profit may be made, on the distribution and sale of the articles. The prime capital cost of it io all sent out of New Zealand. WHAT BREWING COSTS THE STATE. I now come to deal with the position so far as the consumption of beer is con--1 l\ !lve told the - House that 1u,005,U00 gallons of beer were consumed in New Zealand in 1915. And what is the position m respect to that? That beer reqiured the production of 840,000 bushels of barky. On the other hand, we have f im P° rt from Australia , 1,000,000 bushels of wheat, which presumably could have been grown where the barley was grown, for the purpose of feeding our population. I venture to think, therefor©, if the money that is expended in the directions I have stated was saved to this country, or if a part of it was saved, whatever ivaa so saved would flow in other channels—for food, clothing, furniture boots, and comforts, where new these comforte are unknown. Some of it,would also bo imeeted in loan certificates for the purpose of helping to carry on the war. This, 1 contend, is a complete answer to the argument as to the loss of reveme. The money would go into circulation, end would in turn react on the State revenues. EXPLAINS HIS OWN POSITION. , % next point is one that comes to me because of the positions I occupy in. the Government. I have the honor to hold the positions of Minister of Public Health, of Hospitals and Charitable Aid, of Mental Hospitals, Minister for the Sick and Wounded Returned Soldiers,' and for Marine: and I want for a moment or two to tel! honorable members that I have in those offices so constantly come up against what t regard as the seamy, side of the liquor traffic that I cannot as an honest man, on my conscience, avoid giving a vote for the reduction of the hours of the liquor traffic m this country. As Minister of Hospitals and of Charitable Aid, ho one knows better than I do the sources from which many of the inmates come who are unable to pay m our hospitals for their maintenance and are free patients. Time after time in connection with qur mental hospitals cases have been brought before jno, none of which I propose to repeat, which show distinctly the effect of drink on many of the men who are in our mental hospitals, S pea kin gas Minister of Marine I say this : On one day recently the deaths of two seamen came officially under my notice, in both of which the men had lost their lives late at night, cne man falling down a ladder and breaking his neck whik tho^- other was drowned; and both lost their lives when under the influence of liquor—officially reported so. I venture to say that if the public*hou«p had been closed at 6 o’clock the probability is that both those men would have been alive today. WET OR DRY CANTEENS.

Now a word or two in regard to our soldiers. ~ I want to say that on the questu;n of a wet canteen I differ from the Minister of Defence, and I say that the House has a responsibility in this matter for this reason: that if the hotels arc closed flu 6 o clock flt night, and no provision is made at the camps for our men you are going to turn the whole of tom soldiers ipto_ compulsory Prohibitionists; and mj opinion is-that that point deserves tne careful consideration of the Minister of Defence, I know the strong feeling the

honorable gentleman has in’ connection with that matter; but I venture to say our soldiers rare living tho. whole of their time at the camps under a strict prohibitory law, and. that if at the only times when they are able to go into our cities they find that the hotels are closed to them there may- be circumstances occurring which, in my opinion, should be provided against. Ido not advocate a canteen being opfin so that' the. men can go there day or night and obtain alcoholic liquor. I am prepared to say they should bo restricted to.6'o’clock, the same as everyone else ; but I do think for the men who are in camp from week to week it may be in their interests that they should have between 5 and 6 o’clock the opportunity, if they choose, to have a glass of, ale or other alcoholic refreshment at the camp. If that were so, I believe many of them would not come into town for the purpose of obtaining liquor. DRINK CAUSES OTHER ABUSES. Tills bringn me to another aspect of the question, on which I wish to speak with as much delicacy as I can. But one must speak straightforwardly, and I find that one of the greatest dangers to the young soldiers in our camps is when they come into the cities and face the possibility of their being captured by those harpies of civilisation who by night frequent our streets and move about looking for their prey. If 6 o’clock closing were carried out, my opinion is that many a young man who between 6 and 8 o’clock will under existing conditions lose the balance of his judgment and become an easy prey will have nis manhood retained to him, because I need not remind lion, members of what Shakespeare says: “How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds make ill deeds done!” The Minister of Defence, who knows the position of the soldiers from the point of view of being in camp, will bear me out. It has been my duty to study them from the point of view of the hospitals, the convalescent homes, and the other remedial places ; and I tell the House, with all honesty, that one of the greatest difficulties we have to deal with in connection with our young men who have returned arises ■ out of drink being given to them, and it is upsetting the arrangements made for their cure. TROUBLE AMONG THE SOLDIERS. I can tell the House that only'a few weeks ago we had to arrange to remove the whole of our soldiers from Otaki Sana-, torium to Cambridge ■Sanatorium, and to remove the female patients from Cambridge Sanatorium to Otaki, because the men were getting out of hand, and going into Otald, and rendering it impossible to carry out their treatment, through their being supplied with drink. I speak from facts; and I say that as I have had these matters brought before me I feel it is my duty in the position I occupy—l feel that 1 would not be faithful to my obligations and trust if I did not give my vote in the direction of reducing the hours in which these dangers could bo placed before our young men. There are various questions that arise out of the proposal now before the House. I recognise, air Speaker, that while the war is on the liquor-trade must

SET ITS OWN HOUSE IN ORDER by meeting the licensees of the hotels who are going to suffer under tho arrangements that are proposed in this Bill. That is the obligation that is laid upon the great brewery corporations—namely, that out of the profits they have made in days past they shall meet the men who are going to suffer by the dislocation of trade that will be, caused through what the House is going to do. If, however, it is considered necessary by a Royal Commission—which I think should be appointed—to pay compensation to those whose interests are going to suffer by the proposals that will be carried, I am prepared to take my shafe of the responsibility that would be entailed by such a proposal as that being given consideration to. But our first and paramount duty is, while the war lasts, to so arrange our own social fabric that temptation may be removed from our boys, that national waste may be reduced, that national economy may be promoted. ’ GRAVE POST-WAR PROBLEMS.

After; the war I think we shall have to discuss tho whole question of the relation of the liquor traffic to the people of this country. What may come 1 am not prepared to say. It may be State Control, or. it may be in some other form; but there is no doubt whatever that- something will have to be done. There has alwavs been a difference between myself and the Prohibition party as a party, and the following are the grounds upon which there has been this difference: I have always held that a drastic change in the licensing system should have a substantial majority at its back, and that whatever our licensing laws are made, $o far as the retail sale of liquor is concerned, they should not interfere with the right of a man in his own home. I hold to those opinions still, and it is because the proposals that I believe will bo given effect to by tho House will go in these directions that I am supporting them. THE PEOPLE’S MANDATE.

I believe that there is a substantial majority of the people in favor of a reduction of hours to 6 oclock. I quite admit what has been said in the debate—that the i inhibition party, as a party, have taken % part in this agitation—and it the Prohibition party alone were agitating this question I should regard it with some doubt and anxiety; but in my own city, and throughout the country, I know that a very large number of people who have always been accustomed to use alcoholic liquor have joined in this movement and have come forward and said; “While the war is on we want this reduction made and we are prepared to leave the question as to whpt is to be done ultimately with the liquor trade to "future decision after the war.” Under the 6 o’clock proposal those who wish to obtain liquor for their homes will be able to do so. There will be no interference with the homes. But the miscellaneous, occasional, harmful drinking for drinking’s sake in the retail bars, with its accompaniments and allurements,- will be done away with; and I behove I am correct when I say it is during the evening that those temptations and allurements are most specific.

NOT AN UNMIXED BLESSING. Now, without wishing to discourage those who are favorable to the reduction of hours, I, desire to say that I doubt if the consumption of liquor under 6 o’clockclosing will show so largo a decrease as many of thgm hope for. Probably the use of alcohol in the homes of the people may become more general. It is doubtful, also, whether the money that is thus saved wall not in many cases bo expended in other luxuries and extravagances, and thrift not really be encouraged. Still, let us give it a trial; and if at the end of another year we find that still the evils are great and paramount, then we can go a further step, if necessary, and exercise the sovereign power of the people—as it can be exercised ( in Parliament—for the purpose of removing those evils.

WHAT THE PROHIBITIONISTS SHOULD DO. At the same time, I would like to say that a very great responsibility is laid upon the Prohibitionist party of New Zealand by What they are asking Parliament to do. A report has reached me that a great body of busincos men coming from one of our cities are prepared to put up a huge sum of money for the purpose of fighting the liquor traffic. That .may be quite true; but I appeal to those men to use some of their money to provide a substitute for the liquor traffic. The men belonging to our mercantile marine and to our transports, as well as our soldeirs, have no place to go to of an evening at the piesent time but the hotel or picture theatre. I ask the rich Prohibitionists of New Zealand if they will organise for the purpose of providing an alternative to the public-house, where men may have a harmless game of billiards and a cup of coffee and social enjoyment, without" the evils that attach to the liquor saloon at the present time. PUT DOWN SLY 6ROGGERIES.

One word before I close, and it is this: It has been suggested several times during the debate that it is probable the result of hotels being closed at 6 o’clock will be to drive the trade underground to other and less desirable places. I was talking on this subeict to a gentleman who visited America a short Time ago, and ho told me that in the district of Alberta he discussed matters with the chief police officer o|

that territory, and he told my friend this :. “ We have, had no difficulty'whatever in dealing-.with the sly grog shop or the place of ill-fame where grog is sold, because, we have made the buyer'equally responsible with tho seller.” • I venture to suggest that if the Attorney-General, who stands up . honestly for his opinions, and certainly can always be relied upon -,to carry out. the law, will consider the point I have raised in that respect the infamous sly grog-selling and other places that accompany the underground liquor traffic can be swept away.