THE LICENSING POLL

Evening Star, Issue 16991, 13 March 1919, Page 8

THE LICENSING POLL

Chaplain H. W. Bui-ridge pave an address at Ruvensbi'iirno last night on the subject of the prohibition of the liquor t:attic. ’Hie Mayor of the borough (Mr 11. E. Mollcr) presided. Mr Burridge stated tliat the Prohibition Council had asked him to give a month of his time to its cause. He had sought to save his country at the front for past three years, and in Prance he had found the soldiers from onr shores ns fine a set of men as he had men anywhere. This year promised to be a remarkable one in the world’s history, for it promised to see war in the future made impossible, ana he hoped also to see the abolition of the ! ; f|uor traffic from the Dominion of New Zealand. He was in France when the news came through from the Dominion that the 1 1 vernment had formed an Efficiency Board for the purpose of looking into the position of the liquor trade. The recommendation of the board that the liquor trade should be abolished had made fine rending for them at the front, and he was glad to see that a vote of the people was to be taken on the matter, although personally he would like to have seen toe poll deferred till the boys came back. Ho had seen the evils of drink in the various countries he had visited: and. to point out how the French people realised the evils of the trade, he read a document which had been posted up in all the post offices of that country slating that the drink evil was an even greater enemy to France than Germany. The liquor trade was a non-essential one. He had stayed in a number of hotels, and had many friends among the publican?, but ho thought that in the end drink led to disreputable practices. The trade was one of the most profitable in the world, and yen the employees in hotels, etc., were among the most poorly paid of professions. 1: wo carried Prohibition we stood not r > lose, but to gain. He was not in fiv.• ■ o:’ State Control, but he was in favor of Compensation. He thought that if Pmh l ’- bition was not. carried at the coming poll with compensation there was not one chance in a million that it would be afterwards. He slated that while in Franco many oi onr soldiers had acquired a taste for alcoholic beverages, lor at times water and tea were nnp'.'Wirnble. and the light wines and beers of the c'umtry had to be taken. Consequently, when the boys went on leave to England they t<>■ >fc the heavier spirit •, and thus acqhin 1 -. 1 a taste for them. Fe then went or. r > state that fO nor cent, of the crime in the Army was due to drink. There was no time when every single vote was of so much importance, A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the speaker.