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Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18066, 5 April 1919, Page 9

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( MODERATE ELECTOR ASKS c. QUESTIONS. J f ANSWERS. Moderate Elector: Why do you seek (to take oat a prohibition order against me? Prohibitionist: It is because you do mot pay your debts —my debts are as 2s 6d to your 7s 6d. Mod.: But I do pay my debts. Anyhow, if your figures are_ right, my credit appears to be three times as good, as yours. Prohib.: Bah! Mod.: You’ll hare to give me sounder reasons than that, you know. . Prohib.: Well, you beat your wife, your children are ill-fed and badly clothed. Mod.: But I tell you that is false. I have a happy home, my children ——■ Prohib.: Oh, yes; perhaps so, or perhaps you think so. But you are a prospective drunk and scoundrel. Any day next week you may go home and tor some trivial reason —probably because you cannot find the corkscrew — you are morally certain to throw the sideboard at your wife and kill her, chop off the heads of your children, set fire to the premises, and very likely destroy the whole neighbourhood. You can’t tell mo anything about drink, for I’ve never touched a drop of it in my life. ' Mod.: Go on. Have you any more sound reasons to advanceP Prohib.! Well, you cannot deny that you are inefficient. The Efficiency Board rnd the Efficiency League have said so. There I ~ Mod.: But your people declare that tlie annual production ?9 worth a hundred millions. Prohib.: Yes, I know they said that in an advertisement, but that was only .to show what a big sum a possible increase of 5 per cent or 10 per cent would amount to. Why, # in 50 years a t 5 per cent—and the Americans make it 150 per cent—we could riddle the Port Hills with tunnels and we could .Mod.: Just half a minute. Pardon ilia interruption. Will you plea-se tell me, if Prohibition is so fine, why the people in the “ dry ” districts are struggling so hard to get licenses restored? Prohib.: Now you are getting nasty. You know that our party is sick and tired of that subject. * Mod.: Well, just one more question anti I am finished for the present. Will yon he kind enough to tell pie where is John "Rob

Prohib.: Now If you say that, Pll heave a brick au you. I