NO-LICENSE RALLY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15003, 25 May 1909, Page 3

NO-LICENSE RALLY.

ASHBURTON DEMONSTRATION. The Ashburton; No-License Council conducted its annual no-license rally in tho Ashburton Oddfellows’ Hall last svening, the building .being crowded to the doors, while many were unable to gain admittance. The Mayor (Mr 11. Davis) pr esided and tho Rev A. 'Dewdpev, of Wellington, and Mr H. D. Bedford, of Dunedin, both spoke at great length on tlije question of temperance and _ tho great strides no-license was making, not only in Now Zealand, hutin all other parts of the world. Each speaker specially referred to the great benefits which had resulted through the carrying or'no-license in Ashburton and - expressed the conviction that, no matter what . steps might be taken in the direction of retarding the movement in the electorate, tho cause would still continue to flourish. ' , At tho close, of the addresses it was resolved by acclamation “ That this meeting of residents,’ representing all parts of the Ashburton electorate, desires to emphatically contradict the statements'made by; Mr Lesinf, amem- ; her of tho Queensland Parliament. The meeting denies that sly grog-selling is encouraged by the liquor law of New Zealand, and effective police supervision is , reducing this to a minimum. It points out that the police records of this district prove that'drunkenness has not increased under the no-license regime. It declares that perjury and corruption are no more in evidence in our Police Court than in Courts in licensed areas. Liquor prosecutions, whether in license or no-license districts, according to the testimony of both magistrates and police, always in-, volve false swearing. The assertion of an increase in lunacy in no-license areas is too absurd to need denial. It asserts there is no evidence of any increase in the introduction of liquor into ‘dry’ areas, official statistics, indeed, showing . a substantial decrease, while the charge : that blackmail, terrorism and boycott are flourishing is absolutely unwarranted.” A cordial, vote of thanks was accorded to the -Women’s Christian Temperance Union and all others who had •helped to make the afternoon tea meeting and evening gathering such a pronounced success. The mooting closed with the National Anthem,