LIQUOR OPPOSED.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10723, 22 October 1928, Page 6

LIQUOR OPPOSED.

OPEN-AIR PROHIBITION AIEETING. HON S. L. mUKEY’S ADDRESS Interesting views in support of tho adoption of Prohibition by New Zealand were given at an open-air meeting at the Sievwnght Memorial on Saturday night by the Hon. , Simon L. Hickey, M.L.C., .a prominent Labor Parliamentarian of N.S.W. where no was Speaker of the Ilouso in 1921. Air Hickey is at present touring the Dominion nndcr the auspices of the Workers’ Anti-Liquor .League. The attendance at " tho meeting, winch lasted beyond two hours, varied during that time, tut must have exceeded 500 during the greater period. . . . ' The Mayor (Air D ; . AY. Coleman), in introducing Mr Hickey, declared that tho liquor traffic was one of the greatest enemies that the workers had and every offor! should lie made to combat it.

Mr. ALlner, local organiser for the Prohibition party, stated that they hadi gigantic vested interests to fight, biit they were there to fight -and: would do so. It those posted interests could persuade, the -people to, give them another three years of life, it would moan a further eighteen millions profit to them/ The speaker also complained of. the actions of the Press Association which published views and opinions from other parts of the world—but only those favorable to the liquor trade. They published statements . from America which were known to be quite false. For instance, they made ' out • that Governor Al Smith was a supporter of the saloons,; whereas that was quite wrong. All Smith believed* in light wines, but hoj would not have the saloons back all any price. Tho Press were not play-1 ing the game, they were not fair,! and they were not giving the public a square deal when they. suppressed all stateriients by Hoover. In opening his address; Air Hickey stated that, apart from minors, non-drinkers, etc,, there were really Duly ' about 300,000 people who ran up the Dominion’s Jiquor bill of £9,000,000 per annum. While Now Zealand, as a country, was fairly sober, there could b'e no doubt, in light of such figures, that the drinkers consumed far too much. The. worker who paid ■ out 10s. 15s or £1 each week, for Jiquor, was placing himself that much behind scratch. told. 1 , with such a burden, he could not care properly for his wife and children, especially in the present hard times. Spending ' money ' on drink brought no benefits in return. With al] the money saved by Prohibition, they could buy warmer clothes and be continually warm and comfortable outside instead of having merely a temporary warmth inside. The deciding of the matter rested with the people and- not with the Government, If Prohibition became law'(a voice “God help us!”), there, would be something of a . reaction for a time—perhaps six months—but that would quickly pass. All big changes in the pasthad been followed hv set Backs, but these soon had passed. In America tilings were different', for, with such a polyglot nation, it was not surprising that the law was broken here and there. Americans did not stick to anything which failed to pay, yet they still kept Prohibition in.

“Have they got drink out of the country?” asked a voice from the crowd..

“No, they still have an eyeful,” replied Air Hickey, “but they had a skinful before,” Continuing. ’ Instated that the Press was ot’tcn full of accounts of the dry law being broken, But then the matter was not news unless tho law had been broken.

indulgence in alcohol was simplv a habit, went on the speaker, but it was the most useless and unnecessary of all habits. Once the habit formed, the person thought drink indispensable, much in the. same way as some doctors fell victims to the drug habit. Prohibitionists were called '‘wowsers,” but there was nothing in that—it simply meant that they were highly moral and law-abiding. To think that such “wowsers” were against sport, etc., was entirely wrong.

The flag had even been dragged into it, continued Mr Hickey, and this seemed to him very wrong, for the flag was surely intended' foi much higher purposes. Johnson stated that “patriotism was the. last refuge of a scoundrel, ”* therefore they should view with suspicion any who brought in patriotism to buttress iin a cause. Even the churches were not unanimous, though thci should, be. There was no reason for dismay In this fact-: for it was only right that- the- man iti the pulpit should be slow in taking his stand on any point. “Still, if they don’t help us,” added Mr Hickey, “surely the - least they can do is not to obtrude their shadow

“At the festive season,” concluded Mr Hickey, “you go round mooring traders and wishing them . the best of luck for the New Year. You express tho hone that each will have ten times the business and will be employing ten times as many bands next year You come, to the man engaged in the liquor traffic.' Can you tell h'm that von hope he sells ten times as nincli liquor and, for every last rose of summer he had to sell his wares, he will have ten next yearf No eonsc7fent:ous and l rightthinking New Zealander could say that, which is a clear . proof that the trade is not right.*’ QUESTION TIME. Asked his opinion of the moderate drinker, Mr Mickey said “They are not a bad, nor a good example. Every man who becomes a ‘hog drinker—” A voice: “Now, now, you’re not in Australia now.” Mr Hickey: “Ah, well, I must put it in more relined language. AJI heavy drinkers were once merely moderate tasters.” in reply to a question as to which was tho better worker, the drinker or the non-drinker, Mr Hipkoy quoted Henry Lord’s view that i! o temperance worker was far the better. The non-drinker could fill ell jobs more satisfactorily—tho railways, foi' instance, allowed no liquor to be brought on any job, and a man could drive a car far better when sober.

“I can drive a car far better when I’m half-stunned 1 , than when Uni sober,” came a voice from the c owd. “He only thinks he can,” r< joined Mr Hickey, “for he must then bo too drunk to know whether he is able to or not.” ‘.‘Can a man bo a moderate drinker for any length of time without taking to it heavily?” was mother query. “That is open to much difference of opinion,” responded Mr ITickev. “Some can and some can’t. Surely tlie moderate drinker .hould be ready to! cut it out, so chat his sweaker brother may be saved from toppling over the cliff ?” To another question, Mr Hickey stated that Prolrbition certainly would be carried if all women in New Zealand voted for it. (A chorus of protest from the crowd.) “There are moro women than men in New' Zealand,” he added. “i’ll vote double then,” came a wavering voice from'the crowd. Questioned as to what would happen to workers in the liquor-traffic if Prohibition were carried, Mr Hickey explained first that, if hanging provided employment tyr yejpe-nmk-

ers, there was no need to keep on hanging people simply to provide work for that section who made ropes. Liquor interests, he added, employed fewer hands, in comparison with output, than any other industry. Whatever industry replaced it’ it would certainly employ more. Tastes would' to cultivated to replace that for liquor and those, new tastes would create new; .'demands.- Carters for the trade could surely cart other things than bottles and barrels, hotel owners could find other avenues for their capital, barmaids would find other positions and accommodation houses, in place of hotels, would employ many more .air Milner also spoke shortly in reply to the various questions, quoting financial statistics showing big advances in both America and Finland sinco Prohibition. Amid loud protests, he said that crime m ine former place had been reduced by per cent “Tom Heeney said he could', get drink anywhere In America.” stated the speaker, “but Dean Inge remarked that; lie was glad to reach England again so that he could get one. We can’t afford to produce 7000 for drunkenness *'ac h year in New Zealand,” he added (amidst cries of “uowser! Wowser 1”) “and I can tel 1 you that I’m proud to bo a wowser.”

Uri the motion of the Mayor, votes of thivnks to. the speakers were carried by acclamation.