THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

Mataura Ensign, 29 November 1911, Page 3

THE LIQUOR QUESTION.

ADDRESS BY REV. HAMMOND APPRECIATION OF NO-LICENSE. At the Town Hall last evening there was a. fair audience when Rev. R. B. S. Hammond (Anglican minister, of Sydney) delivered a stirring address on the liquor question. Rev. T. J. Bull (ex-president of Mataura No-license Council) presided and in introducing the speaker said that he esteemed it a privilege and a pleasure to do so. He did not know whether Mr Hammond would look upon it as a superfluous job to come to Gore, where the bar had been abolished, but he thought that Mr Hammond would do something to push on the bigger issue of Dominion Prohibition. (Applause.) Mr Hammond said it was of great interest to him to come to a locality where the wisdom and enthusiasm of the people had abolished the bar. He urged his audience to remember that t'.iey could not obtain the great boon of Bominion Prohibition unless they got a majority of 100,000 votes, and said that if they went back in their No-license vote the fact would be used by the liquor party and would discourage the temperance movement in New South Wales. In fact, their vote would have a very wide effect, as an advance, in the vote would encourage those in other districts.

Mr Hammond, continuing, said that a careful investigation proved that drink was at the back of poverty, tragedy and intemperance. The speaker dealt interestingly with the attitude of the medical profession in regard to alcohol and dwelt on the fact that the number of people under Prohibition in America had increased from 3,000,000 in 1870 to 42,000,000" in 1911. He urged that Prohibition was but ihe vote of tho people—it was not to bo inflicted > '' them; it came as the vote of the p~cplo willed. In regard to the fact tlv'-t some people said that Prohibition did not prohibit the speaker said that because one or two comparatively insignificant things happened that did not detract from the great benefits accruing on Prohibition. Civilisation did not

civilise, Christianity did not Christianise, Prohibition did not prohibit, but they did a lot towards the- advancement of the race and the [world. Dealing with the fact that under Dominion Prohibition £BOO,OOO | would have to be found by taxation Mr

I Hammond pointed out tnat £4,uuu,uuu > cairfl from tho pockets of the people | and £BOO,OOO was banded back to the j Government. With £4,000.000 in the pockets of the people £BOO,OOO would be a detail. If they must have revenue from the liquor traffic he hoped they were proud of the source of their revenue. Might Got! save them from taking money from such an unholy and degrading source! In regard to the number of people who would he thrown out of work by the abolition of liquor Mr Hammond stated that the number mentioned by the "Trade" was much i exaggerated, and said that the great majority would bo engaged in legitimate catering for the wants of the travelling public. Only 2000 would be thrown out of work and as the Dominion could absorb 10,000 immigrants a year there should be little difficulty in ■ providing work for 2000 people. Mr J Hammond dealt with certain statements made by the Liquor Party in a pamphlet and said there were throe reasons why be was in favor of No-license and why he would v-te for Dominion Prohibition. Hr> vrould vote for No-license with all its frailties and limitations because it was infinitely better than the other thing, because it was a most humane thing and because it was a Christian thing. He urged them to do their best and see that their vote did not go behind that of former days and, each make one towards tho great aim of Dominion Prohibition. (Applause.) At the conclusion of the address a questioner asked Mr Hammond's opinion of No-license in Mataura with a brewery in its midst. Mr Hammond said that the remedy lay in Dominion Prohibition, which would sweep the breweries into the sea in four years.

The questioner said he quite agreed. In the course of a brief speech Rev. I M. A. Rugby Pratt moved a hearty | vote of thanks to Mr Hammond for his interesting address and suggested that the meeting should make a resolution in the direction of affirming its sense of the value accruing from No-license, in the electorate. Rev. Andrew Gray seconded the motion, which was carried. The chairman said that their friends in Taranaki had asked the League for a message and the opinion expressed by a largo meeting would be of more value. Mr Pratt moved, "That this meeting expresses its entire satisfaction with the operation of No-license in the electorate and heartily recommends the reform to the people of the Dominion and pledges itself to support Dominion Prohibition." Mr Hammond announced that the resolution was seconded in two places and the motion was carried unanimously. The chairman announced that arrangements would be made to have the resolution sent throughout the country.