THE OPERA HOUSE GATHERING

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 13 October 1914, Page 4

THE OPERA HOUSE GATHERING

The Opera House in the evening was crowded, when Mr and Mrs Snow! den delivered stirring addresses, which were attentively listened-to by an appreciative^ and orderly audience. Tho Mayor. (Mr H. K. Whittirigton) presided and briefly introduced the speakers. --Mr•. H, Halliwell, on behalf of the No-license League, extended a vrery hearty welcome 'to Mr and Mrs bnowden. ;;' : ; ■;^:v : ; ;

Mr Snowden, on rising to address the meeting, -was warmly applauded, and he cordially acknowledged the welcome accorded to Mrs Snowden and himself. He purposed that night to try and illustrate the cases against the liquor traffic, in the campaign for the abolition of the traffic m favor of national prohibition. So far- in the campaign the liquor traffic, or rather those upholding this traffic^ had not put before tiie electors the great national advantages which accrued from the spending of £4,000,000 a year on intoxicating liquors. He had seen nothing of any ■literature issued by the Trade, but it might be ..that it was working in the darkness rather than, in the light. He did not say that, individually, the men w-li° wt nt into the li(luor trade were either better or worse than the o-- eneral average of men. Men~did not*engage in the liquor trade with the deliberate object, of destroying men's bodies and their souls. Men went into the liquor trade to make money. Their'l object was to make money and to ruake as much as possible—and unfortunately they could only make money by selling drink: And the more drink they sold «+wii re' / Uin $ eJ 60wed broadcast. If the Trade would frankly confess that 1 1 n £ de? ndm? tte liquor trade, it was defending its own selfish interests, while totally disagreeing with it he would in a sense, respect it v for its honesty The Trade did not do this. Ihe Trade did not come forward and say. that it had financial interests in this liquor trade, and' was making fortunes out of. it, and therefore it was going to fight for its own pockets If the Trade were honest it would say this, but itjdid not do so. It pretended to defend the existence of the liquor traffic on the ground that the liquor '

' in? f a n ,g f reat ? ocial that drinkwimm tff+l, ' ,barbanan ty the fact drunk /?° deL r + n ,civili^d man got wE k—X^gfcter)— and the barbarian did not — (renewed lau<S-ter)--and the paper Went on sS - ii w a v Bert that the traffic in important instruments in advancing °« llirt^ n- The Pe°P Ip were told n effect, that literature, science, music" ait inventions, commerce, were the reXv A + W + V U knew«on the contiaiy that the greatest hindrance tX t thv ds.*■&*-*£ -s her lifetime seen men occupy great positions of responsibility in commerce 1 "I **£ world of Earning, brought S£%f5 6 foU. nd i* tha* P^er another statement which w as entirely wrong It was said that some London journal the name and date of which were not given, had been .making investigations as to the average life of temperance people, total abstainers,' moderate drinkers, careless drinkers |™ decidedly intemperate From the-figures given the Trade argued that the teetotal man'did not Jive as long as the man of decidedly . interrperate habits, while the careless *JtiKer liveel six years longer than the trtal abstainer. Mr. Snowden emphatically replied to these assertions, and quoted the practice of insurance companies as distinctly condemnatory of strong.drink. He then dealt with the argnm + ent brought forward by the Trade that, by abolishing the selling of lwnor were interfering with the individual liberty of the people. What was individual liberty?. In the full sense of the word liberty, "doing as. a rl TS°£ ,?; anted to <V individual liberty did not exist, and could riot exist m any civilised community. The only Demons who exercised, full individual liberty were those whb, unforWtely, had. lost their senses, and mmprhately they began to exercise this liberty they were placed under restraint for their own pr oo d and for the p£od of the community as a whole. We ww.at every poir>t restricted'and r»q«bted by law—ard in sm DO r+. of +-his he qnoted +*c c*se of the shopkftet)e- who could O "ly keep his ehoo duntigr certain , hours: +he *eigMv7 , ,15 «oatjon- Act- which com-' ■^lled. children to be sent to sohool: Mr. Llovd-Georse's n^xjulgorv insiirp.nce sohemo, compelling eveWo^e to join a fnp^lv society, under wh^h the ger^t .work'Ticr cippg WP^ O compelled +o make provision for picknfiss This measure was-at *-'rst because it was t^outrht i+. would jnterww^h+,V + ]*°rty of the people; bnt to-day 14 r^^njy Ty»p-\ 3-<1 iwomera were comntil^riiy insured, fp.y^ir \ axr 'pterferAd w;th; so^pK"V, i^^dn'ni liberty, but it wns really for their own cood and for. +b« g c~l o f i+ he- co— mrn-^v a=;:a wnole. F'r -o r i v +^ .■niie.6+i^n;of n ? TPrtP-»l or individual liberty as .it f£cW tho liqr- *^fft> WflS '?* * J .." w I n™' chw-aet-AT; Vl) T^ie liquor mental capacity. ?^d ir time popeal*d to every; precedent to":Bhow tV i r diyTdual ?t ; ."Hd. bep n restricted, • i -I 0 ,Teßt nct;-tno freedom o f the traffic were aWiph^: the. people would crease tti the police oourt upkeep cause the : e wouM be fewe^S*^ p^v. Mr.. Suowden the.n dealt with ■?* n +Wo rhe :P?°P^M been told that, ■jf the iin^or traffic; were abolished there wo^H be increased taxation S eJr llSh °r UT\ fT- contentioS th 4 this was never put. before anyone At mm?m \vniA f4nH«n Dl-" i* he dominion peoP7- (Applause,- prolonged.):;