THE DRINK TRAFFIC.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 93, 22 April 1895, Page 2

THE DRINK TRAFFIC.

To the Editor of tiik Evening Mail. Sir.— While agreeing with your correspondent "Temperance" that the Gothenburg System has done snecessiul work in Sweden, it must be remembered, however, that prior io its introduction there was praetica'ly free trade in liquour, there being at one time as many as 173,124 stills paying a niere'y nominal license fee, while i lie population wns not much over 3,000,000. Any form of regulation could not but 1>« an improvement on such a state of affairs But there is no doubt that public sentiment in New Zealand ia far in advance of the Gothenburg System, and the people will never tolerate any participation in, what ia by so large a number rightly considered, the greatest curse to the colony— the Drink Traffic. For which reason, it seems to me a waste of valuable eneigy to try and convert one of its supporters, even so 'convertib'e" a one as Mr Graham oas shown himself to be, to anything Bhort of No License. One point in Mr Graham's speech, not touched on by " Temperance," struck me rather forcibly as showing, either extraordinary ignorance on his part, or a contemptuous supposition that his audience was more ignornuo than he was himself. Mr Graham expressed fear that were prohibition cirried the Revenue would suffer. As some people weigh every question moral or otherwise, in its bearing on £.. a. d., the opinions of some eminent statesmen on the question of Revenue and Prohibition are not of notice, though they do not exactly coincide with Mr Graham*. Mr Gladstone, when interviewed by adeputit'ionof^Londoabrewers, urging that certain proposed restrictions an the Liquor Traffic would seriously affect revenue, replied, '< Gentlemen, I cannot permit a question of mere revenne to be considered alongside a question of morals, but glee me a sober population, wit wasting (heir earnings on strong drink, an I I shall know where to get my revenue." [The italics are mine.] The Right Hon Joseph Chamberlain speaking at Sheffield said, "If I could destroy to-morrow the desire tor strong drink in the people of England what changes should wo not see. We should see our taxes removed by millions sterling. We should see our gaols and workhouses emply. We should see more lives saved in a year than are consumed ill a century of bitter and savage war," Sir Stafford Northcote, when Chancellor of the Exchequer, said, " I venture to say that the amount of wealth such a change would bring to a nation would utterly throw into the shade the amount of revenue that is now derived from Spirit Duty." To turn to our own country both Sir Harry Atkinson ami Mr Ballanee expressed convictions to tlie same effects. Commending the above utterances to Mr Graham's unbiassed consideration. I am, &c Prohibition.