LIQUOR LIES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 294, 2 December 1911, Page 2

LIQUOR LIES.

I Tiie liquor traffic of New Zealand I i ; at. present in a panic of fear, so it proi'esses to be tli<‘ ihii-t preserver of ihe morttls of the people. ‘ Dear pcoph’ al! our <.-one<‘rn is for your good character and your prosperity. a::d money be hanged." Then this ; Pope of morals forthwith cares for I your morals by telling lies. An ex-j I pensive leaflet came to Tie by post | [yesterday, asking. “Why Maine [ I chuj'ved Now Maine has not I diaiig.'d. The proposal on which Maine voted was. whether the people should nut be allowed the opportunity cf once more voting for or against Prohibition. It is at present ■ a < los-'d question and the vote was I whether it should not be opened i again. That was a proposal to I which mauv Prohibitionists could i say. “Yes." I would for one. But I why should "The Trade." in the in-[ terests of morality, declare "Res-' toration in Maine.'" At the same! time came another leaflet in the in-j terests of the people, telling us that! liquor pays A 1,250.900 in revenue. It i really pays ,£xos.()')o. Now. it wants to know who pays this revenue, and makes out it is the rich man. Do not be fooled with such noiisense. The publican.-. <:f this district get no less than .£60.0110 per year itt liquor. How much do the rich contribute to that! Do they shout daily at the bar? They have more sense. Ourj local brewer gets liis £‘sooo or .£6ooo' per year, how much of it comes from; the tit h The working man pays the! revenue on liquor. The revenue is. i license fees .£ *O.OOO : duties .£756.000 : | ictal. £xos.(i<)9. That is just one side. We have to put the collecting of that revenue, tiie prisons, the courts, the police, etc, etc, on the other s’dc and I hen we find that the baht.ice is again.'! the trade. Then these moralists ask you to believe that ‘‘Eleven thousand people tire directly employed in the liquor trade." The ret urns show 572 eu- : gaged in brewing ; 2160 bar tenders:! less than three thousand. All the| others would l>c st iH needed For thei aecemmrtdation of the public. To* these 2972 the trade pays in wages! 1 1 per £ I : it pays 6 1 for other r.vj pi-n.-i - and ha;, a profit of 12 1 in j c, cry I'L Is it a wonder the brewer! is rich and fa! and tlrii you are poor | and leati ! They get it all out of [ you. t.o they arc deeply concernedl ahrcit your im.rals and your prosper-! iiv .They air breaking their heartsj

and tearing' their iiair lest your char-1 aeter should lie destroyed by becoming sober. Their lucrative business | is a great lemi>lat io n to such loltyi morality. T’ity the )o<nl brewer who; is tempt 'd to care for you to 'ihej I ;;;ie of -(iOfil) per year. Why do tiieyi n-ii H-l] us that most of the money f;-r ho'.e| .retits leaves Hastings ' Why do 1 hey not tel! us bow much lii'i':' : lias to go io lb’’ ()ld ( onutry for whisky, brandy and the rest of the liquors:' We have a new race of sa.iii*s now. and a new kind ot h‘i'. water. The puli, stands fol‘| (. .hat net t of swelling saintly type.' [