TEMPERANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIII, Issue 13712, 1 April 1905, Page 10

TEMPERANCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —There is very great credit due to the prohibitionists for their zeal and energy in fighting against intemperance, but it seems to me that as they objected to clause 9 of the last Liquor Bill, they have got all they want at present. If such a clause could have been passed, however, no doubt a new Bill would have been wanted to brand all New Zealanders travelling abroad with a big “ P,” and to induce the Imperial Government to make it penal to poison any of'them with alcohol in any shape or form. But the prohibitionists owe a great deal of their success in the no license battle to the votes of moderate people, who, though they appreciate tiie use of beer, wine and spirits, detest drunkenness as much as any teetotaller does. 1 think that the prohibitionists might now assist the moderates to check drunkenness by stopping the manufacture, importation, and sale of had drinks. Light beer, made of malt and •ps duly, is a good drink. So is strong beer in moderation. Cider is good, and can be mixed with water. There is no better medicine than good wine, and even a teetotaller would be very glad sometimes to get a dram cf good spirits poured down his throat! Beer and bread and cheese is as good as tea and buns. Soda and whiskey ip very superior to lemonade, and ginger-beer made with sulphuric acid, as it often is. Australian wines are infinitely superior to, and less intoxicating than, ginger wine, which is supposed to be. a teetotal drink. In England some fifty years ago (I am told on good authority) it was c;:uitrary to lav/ and punishable by very heavy penalties to make beer of anything hut malt, heps and water. That was genuine beer. Now, most beer is adulterated with sugar and drugs. If anyone will look at the Year Book for 1903 he will see that in the year 1901 the materials used for making beer wore Sugar, 2,422,5051b5; malt, -155,035 bushels; and hops, 526,5101b5. The quantity of drugs used is not given, but the noxious after-flavour of most beer gives the idea of large quantities of cocoulus indious, sulphuric acid, and other poisons. The intoxicating, effects of the beer also go towards proving the presence of something worse than malt avid hops and sugar. Genuine beer means malt and hops only, and the law ought to permit of no adulteration whatever. Or, if it were permitted, than the names and quantities of the drugs ought to he advertised ns proposed with patent medicines. If the beer manufactured in the colony were as good as it ought to be, the colony ought to export it instead of importing. Over 200,000 gallons of beer were imported in 19011902. Then the manufacture of pure light wines ought to bo encouraged and, carefully supervised to prevent adulteration or fortifying with vilo foreign spirits. The imported wines ought also to be caroiul'y examined and the bad rejected. This would be all in favour of the good Australian wines. Then, ns regards spirits, the Government ought long ago to have noted on the suggestion cf Mr Alfred Saunders, to set up a State distillery and manufacture whisky. The colony imports about hall a million gallons of whisky at present, A great part of this is only fit to hand over to the mercies of the prohibitionists. It would bo far better to manufacture for our own use and for export a, pure malt whisky. There would he profit enough in it to pay the Old Age Pensions. It, is just as much the business of the State to stop the sale of bad drink as of bad meat. And to export good whisky would help to hinder the sale of bad whisky in other countries.-—I am, etc., O. K.