CASE FOR PROHIBITION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 November 1928, Page 6

CASE FOR PROHIBITION.

ADDRESS DY REV. JOHN PATERSON. AT HAWERA LAST NIGHT. To hear the Rev. John Paterson, of Wanganui, talk on .“The Lies qf the Liquor Trade” there was an excellent attendance, the Presbyterian Hall, at Hawera, last night being quite filled with an audience That followed the address very closely and gave the speaker a good reception. Mr F. W. Horner, president of the Prohibition League in Hawera, was in the chair and briefly introduced the speaker. He said the listeners would have a mo.st interesting evening, for Mr Paterson was known, not only as a powerful and incisive speaker, but also as an orator and an elocutionist. He referred to the flaming expensive advertisements inserted by the Liquor Party and said that the Alliance, altering their policy this election, had resolved not to spend so much as formerly on newspaper advertising which had not given them quite the return they had hoped and they were advertising in a different way to previous years. 3VEr Horner drew attention to the fact that the Presbyterian Church, had released no less than forty-three of its ministers on a mission of lecturing in the cause qf prohibition. This was no sinecure, but demanded great selfsacrificing work. ; Air Paterson expressed his pleasure to see such a large gathering in Hawera an earnest, he considered, of the thought that people were giving to the great cause. ■ j Prohibition, he said, was the upward surge of mankind to a better day which he felt sure was coming in the near future. -Soine said the world was getting worse, but he would ask thein to look back and think of conditions existing when they were young. There was, he felt convinced, in human life and awakening of the social conscience towards the doctrine of the command, to “love neighbour as thyself.’ 3 To this there had been a great response and .prohibition had set before itself this ideal of human brotherhood in all its work. They must dq this if the movement was to reach the height they hoped and if they did not think of others, they would be prevented from attaining to the heights to which they aspired. If they would effect a cleansing of conditions in life and so re-in-foroe the upward move of the human spirit they must get rid of the liquor traffic.

Habit, be said, was a wonderful power in mankind and it was necessary, above all, to break .the habit _ 'which was inherent in sd.many qf their race of taking alcohol. 'The inertia of habit was actually a great clog against, the upward move t 0 which they aspired. “Our grandfathers and fathers got drunk in years gone by, we say why should not we? He acknowledged that it was very difficult to overcome this force of habit; but it could be broken. He humorously referred to the antipathy of the poor people in the slums where he had worked for years, to opening a window in case of a dfauglit or of having a bath in case they might die. He pictured an old woman being taken to the hospital ~ and her horror when she found that they were, “going to- give her a bath.” That sort of thing, he said, existed and it was necessary to overcome prejudice and break down the habit and the desire to drink alcoholic liquors. Alcohol was admitted by all to be a drug and the speaker referred to the pamphlets circulated by the Liquor Party giving what they said were the opinions, of leading medical men, suggesting that they believed in. “booze. But. he said, these were only half quoted for the medical men said thisdrug was useful in some cases, like other drugs. The question affected the whole basis of the scientific, reasons why they should have prohibition. They urged that alcohol," like every drug, should be put oil the chemist’s shelf and kept there.

The daily use of alcohol was a deadly thing and would quickly show its bad results. Morphia might be and was used in some eases, but it was necessary . to safeguard the people by not allowing themto get it except under medical orders and strict control. The same applied.tp cocaine which.was used in practice by dentists. The same should apply to alcohol for its use set up a taste for liquor and the desire 'to I have it in ever increasing quantities. This pamphlet to which he referred was one of the most subtle lies circulated. There was no doubt that drink undermined a man’s constitution and sapped his efficiency. The big thing in the liquor traffic was ;its remarkable and co.mplete organisation.. Going back in history, Mr Paterson made reference to the action of the astute Lord deed, Elizabeth’s Prime Minister, 'who saw the ever-growing progress Q-f the trading classes and realised that they would soon ask for a share in the government and so put ail end to the kind tyranny that existed in England in those days. He suggested to the Queen that “the one way to keep the people under was to establish drinking houses in every town and village to teach the people to drink, a habit which never existed before. That,” said the speaker, “is the origin of the trade as it exists to-day.” . He referred to the troubles in Russia following the war, and the decision to make the country sober. The horror of th© ' revolution would pass away, just as the French revolution did, and there would arise a new era for the people of that country. In every country, said the lecturer, there was a fight against the most tremendous organisation in the world, which everywhere tried to shatter the fabric of law and order in order to cany on the traffic. There were, he said, hardly six papers that would, report one line of prohibition meetings unless paid for at big prices, and that was what the press of the country had come to. ... He referred to the first licensing Bill suggested by Mir. Coates four years ago, which included the condition of one poll every nine years and the securing of a majority vote to get prohibition. The temperance forces obtained pledges from members . or Parliament, and the result was that the Bill was killed.” All. they asked for throughout was “a fair go.” He affirmed that there were cases where members had been bribed and corrupted, and had been able by the subsidy given them to support the traffic, to pay off debts, and acquire property, although apparently having only their honorarium on which to live. How was it possible, he said, for a man on £4OO a year to keep two. homes, subscribe to various institutions, and m a few years to be in a position to retire. You do not find, lie added, men supporting prohibition able to do tins. He' stated that he knew of cases where

a candidate had been told by the licensed victuallers’ agents that if he wanted help hd knew where, he could get it. Lord Rosebery once said that if the British constitution did not throttle the liquor traffic, said the speaker, the traffic would throttle the constitution. Mr. Paterson referred at some length to the financial aspect of the question, and especially to the arguments advanced by the trade that if prohibition were carried there would need to be extra taxation, that there would be widespread unemployment, and stated that the case was that the spending of nine millions in liquor, which was the total spent by the people, resulted in the .collecting of two millions. This huge sum, he said, if not spent in liquor, would still be put into. circulation, and the people would spend some and invest' part and circulate much in other ways. He alluded to the statement made by Air. W. D Hunt, one of the Efficiency Commission set up during the war, that they were giving the trade no less than seven millions to collect two millions. “Why,” said Air. Paterson, “I would not mind taking it on myself.” He referred to the contrast in hospital and charitable aid rates in a liquor district as compared with a nolicense area such as Invercargill. Tfie latter, be said, paid oiily sevenpence, as against 2s 34a in the former, rhat, lie added, was the result of the people spending more than they should on liquor. Reference was made also to America and the statements made by the liquor party Of the enormous expense of enlorcing prohibition. In the States there were extraordinary efforts made in organising to make the laws ineffective. “ike force, undermining -fciio conscience of the masses of the community was the most damnable thing on earth, and should be got rid of absolutely.” The answer had. been given by America in the election of ivir. Hoover as President. The Governor of New York said he was going to sweep the convention and destroy prohibition. The convention, however, stood for the upholding of the Volstead Act and the enrorcement of the law. The election of Air. Hoover was the' answer given by . the American people, despite the utmost efforts of the liquor people, who did not care what lies tney told to secure their eiids. The f orces of greed and lust had said they would fight and smother prohibition by any means possible, and they had actually tried to involve the States in a war with Great Britain, and almost did so. America said: “This is our law, and in spite of all difficulties we are going to enforce it.” In New Zealand the liquor people made a great point of unemployment if prohibition were carried, but he stated that they were out to close the bars and not the hotels, and therefore at the outside 2500 people would be out of a job. “We spend £9,000,000 to make work for this numbers” One pound spent in drink provided sixpence in wages, whereas invested in industry the amount was 16s. The suggested increase in taxation as made by liquor advocates was all a bogey and." a distortion of facts, he added. He instanced the remarkable savings effected in the United States, where a huge amount- had been wiped off the national debt. In conclusion, he asked the people to remember that three more votes at each booth would win the fight. By carrying prohibition, the greatest social question of the day, they would secure economic efficiency in the people—every social worker was up against the traffic —secure health and happiness for the people, and bring in the reign of righteousness. He asked the people to believe in the work before them; to work and pray so- that they could see this movement through to a successful conclusion. During the evening Mr. Paterson gave an elocutionary recital, in which he combined a series of excellently contrasted numbers in a way that gained him hearty applause. A solo by Airs. M. Squire completed the programme, Airs. L. A. Taylor playing the accompaniment. Just after concluding his lecture Mr. Paterson said he learnt that the local panel- the “Hawera Star,” was one of the papers which did' give good reports of prohibition meetings. He said he was glad to learn this, and added it was only just andi fair that. the people should know it also. [Extended Report by Arrangement.] QUICK RELIEF FROM COUGHS. “'While I was in Australia recently,” said a lady, “a change of weather caught me and I developed my old' chesty cough. I tried medicines, hut was no easier. However, when I got Pulmonas my cough soon disappeared. They seem to go right down to the trouble and ease it at once.” PuLraonas for coughs, colds, sore throats, etc.; 1/6 and 2/6. —Advt. Tfie cause of Rheumatism is remove! by Rheuino; 4/6 large bottles.—Advt.