INEBRIATES' HOMES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11888, 11 May 1899, Page 4

INEBRIATES' HOMES.

The objections which Dr Symes urges is the. letter we publish'this morning, against persons suffering from the effects of drink being admitted to the public'hospitals, are all reasons why inebriates' homes should be established for the reception of thesa unhappy people. This is evidently tha view taken by the doctor himself. "The proper place for all drunkards," he writes., "is an Inebriate Asylum, not a gaol. Instead of being sent to. gaol for seven days, as at present, these cases should be sent to an Inebriate Asylum until cured, whatever that period of time may be." Tkia is an opinion with which every social re; former, who has looked into the subject* will be able to agree. It is, as Dr Symes eimply a waste of time and money and energj to Jceep on sending hat<iuiai drunkards to gaol. A week's" or a month's enforced abstinence merely prepares. them for furthei indulgence when they regain their liberty. The "cures," which profess to get rid oi the craving for alcohol in three or foui weeks, are, in the great majority of cases, just as useless. Perhaps there are a few; patients whose will power may be strong* thened by their faith in the efficacy pi their treatment. But oa a rule money spenll in trying to find a royal road' to sobriety is money wasted. The only certain remedy, is,enforced and long-continued abstinence, under proper medical supervision. The Inebriates' Homes Act. of last session was passed for the purpose of bringing this remedy within the reach of the public, and now that Dr Symes has testified to tha deplorable failure of other measures there ought to be no further delay in bringing its provisions into operation. All that is required is for the Government to erect the necessary buildings, in some suitable IoJ cality, and to provide the requisite funds for the maintenance ,of the institution. There is already sufficient legislation on the Statute Book to ensure the success of the experiment. The first cost should not be very large, and even if the subsequent expenditure should run. into £SOOO or £6OOO a year the money would be well invested. At present the colony is spending quite as much ,in a hopeless attempt to hide away one of the worst of its social sores.

mve and practical basis for churches at different stages of theological thought. The different churches, he said, must grow into each other, and this could not bo accomplished in a day. There* coulfd be no true unity, that did not embrace variety. Membership in the church was thrown open, without any ' monetary qualification, to all who were willing to accept the basis of union, and who were loyal to the aims of the church. The basis of union is non-theological, and describes what the work and functions of the church are, rather than its theological beliefs and opinions, which are left free to grow and change as knowledge :md experience grow. The Australian Church is declared to be " a, free, progressive, unsectarian religions brotherhood, held together by a common spirit of trust, hope and love to-, wards Gad and man, and by a common endeavour. after Christian.life and practice," find " untrammelled by a final theological precd." It is pleasant to see a body of religions people whose aim is to conciliate, rather than conquer, -those who differ from them-even, on what they consider "essentials," but it is.to.be feared that the realisation of their hopes is somewhat distant. - That, however, is no reason why they should not be , encouraged to .. persevere in their efforts,''for the' religious world, in which the " odium theoliogicum " is still a very active force, does not present a very edifying spectacle at present.

INDHSTBIAI, CONCILIATION IN' BBITAIN.

Employers in the United Kingdom are quite.deter- ■ mined to deal with .their employees in their own fashion. Hence they have flouted the