Temperance News.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 1135, 16 March 1910, Page 3

Temperance News.

A CONVERTED HOTELKEEPER. The proprietor of the Terminal Hotel, located at .Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A., has changed his mind in regard to the necessity of the saloon from a business standpoint. Before Birmingham went "dry" under the local option law, this man, along with most other hotel proprietors, opposed the abolition of the saloon, urging that to eliminate such an institution would be to paralyse business. The following statement, however, from Mr Robertson shows how completely he has changed his mind on this question:— "I was opposed to prohibition when tlie election was held. I didn't believe the law would be enforced. We have a large city with a great many foreigners. Besides the panic, we had a coal strike that lasted several months. Statistics show that under prohibition i n 1903, there have been more goods bought and paid for collections better, arrest and police court oases diminished nearly half. I have an idea that it would hurt our city in a general way, but it is not so. I believe if -we were to hold an election here now, prohibition would get a. big majority.' ' AN ANGLICAN CLERGYMAN ON DRINK. The President of the Alliance, the Rev Canon Boyce, in his New Years sermon, preached at St. Paul's, Sydney, from the text, bpeak unto the children of Isarel that they go forward," said, "probably the greatest event of the year would be the local option poll. The people would for a second time have the _ opportunity of declaring for or against the liquor bars, so numerous m their land. There would be again extremists in their over-licensed city who would vote to keep all open, but he hoped everyone there who loved Sydney would vote against them. The battlecry of the true reformer that phtould ring throughout the country would be no-license. What greater menace was there fo be to the homes of the people than the liquor bar? What more terrible foe had humanity than drink? They should prepare for the battle, for on that day all the forces that were antagonistic fo the truest welfare of tho people would unite to make the drink triumphant. He altered a famous sentence to suit the case against such powers: You shall not press down upon tho brow of the innocent the crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mothers and children upon a cross of brewers' gold. TEMPERANCE IN IRELAND. # 'Dr. T. N. Kelynack delivered an interesting address at the meeting of fthe British Medical Associatfvion at Belfast at the annual temperance breakfast. He said he had been asked to present to the medical and other guests _a short resume of some of the more important facts and general principles which .have resulted from the deliberations of the scientific section of the International Congress on Alcoholism held in London. To this conference, held under Royal patronage, recognised by our home and foreign Governments, and having thesuppqrt of leaders of thought and action in every realm of life's activities ,there had come delegates from the ends of the earth, representative not only "of Britain beyond the seas, but of the two Americas, and almost every civilised country. There had been manifest a desire to hoar the best that could be said in favour of alcohol as well as to know the worst respecting its nature, action, and the manifestations of it& most subtle and dangerous influence.— Advt.