TWO KINDS OF MODERATES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 81, 5 April 1919, Page 4

TWO KINDS OF MODERATES

MUHEKATE LEAGUE UK EFFI- ' CIENGY LEAGUE? The views of the National Efficiency League were sta’ed by Mr J. E. mill, North Island organiser of the Business Men’s Efficiency League at the Theatre Royal last evening. There was a very large attendance, afld Mr T. Neale (Chairman of the Nelson ’Hospital and Charitable Aid Board) occupied tne chair. Mr HamiJi explained l Vie formation of the Business Men’s Efficiency League, which was set up To carry out the suggestions of the National Efficiency Board, which wa*, an independent body of experts set up by the Government, and which tecbmmended National Prohibition with compensation in the interests of efficiency). He would like to point out that there were two bands of moderates in th© country—-on the one hand thfc Modera’-®-, League, who said they wanted their drmk, and on ‘he other the Business Men’s Efficiency League, who were prepared to sacrifice their own desires- for- l he sake of th© country. Clearly one- League was selfish and the other patriotic, in regard to . compensation ilie , business men believed that if they were going’to have immediate prohibition they should pay compensation lo those engaged in the Trade. They looked at this as a moral reform, and wanted to do it in a moral way. The hotel keepers were just as entiled to fair play kg any oh© else. The evil was in the drink. ; itself, and th© sooner ~ they abolished it the better it would be for the country. At the present time they were spending £S.(XX),(XX) a year in drink, and what were, they get’ing in return? Was it not better to spend; £4.500,000 and abolish the traffic than go on spending £5,000,000 a year and incur ’-he incalculable evil that wa© involved, as . well? If prohibition was carried by the people it could not Be repealed by Parlia merit. Drink : would hay© : to. -bU r reinstated by a referendum.. It was par* fectly dear, from s the- expfisriepoes prohibition in. other. co.untrfoß, that once it was ified here, the--people would never reinstate the drink. •: ■Speaking m regard' to revenue; : Mr Hamill said it was absurd to argue thpt it wda* necessary id spend. £5,000,C00,-.to, get £1,000,000 back.;, .»>#€►. What about the . revenue? : - v . - What about the women and children ? 'his reply. " " ‘ ‘1 - ' Continuing* he said it wi» tiroes the nation thought first, about*, the capital rather that'first aboht wealth, it- was the duty -ot every man to- look the liquor question fairly'm, the * face and decide the ' issue ‘-'on the merits. Often they saw a man der twelve solid arguments' against liquor and magnify a; flimsy, argmheffi; in. favour qfi it that appeared to,. b© t ' v the _ U a-court of justice juqged ipeni ln " that manner What, would* . they. •h&y&ito say! ■ ..Continuing, Mr Hamili said the reason he had entered the movement- for . the abolition of the traffic, and had neglected his own, business, f or,. iJSHS ■ time being to do so, was* that fie standing in tit© street one day, .)tnd 'Jae saw a little girl about years j age, with a baby in her arms,. loading a drunken fattier ;i hpme, tii s£heh they, came to a hotel the girl pleadsd-Jp the j father ,to, come; home ;as ■ hey was I waiting* -for him, <- bat ffie • pnghed -her ’over. If those present at- th© meeting * could have seen the miseiy-deputed ; jn th little face he ,waa" sure seethe liquor traffic in a "new light a*, he * had seen it The great question, was,.. Has a man the right-tO; pleases when the rfesuT.* means the sutferingj of; women - and i tchikiren? A. drinker had to prove that tbe,.effects of his drinking ■do not .pass on*- to others, otherwise', he -mola?©*, th© frights of other* and deprives., them .of their liberty. Let them realise that- on 10 hj April they could vote misery oat * of the lives of women aqd children and vote in happines'6.. It. Moderate League, wopld; prove fo him... sands "of Woinen 'arid chlldrrii Wfere rmot [suffering as a result of .he traffic be [would go out of.The mpyewaqntTfilo-indr-I—THi« was a campaign in which the [women and clyldren of NTew Kealamt should rise to the occasion. • ‘He ©axneffi* Jv ’ trusted they, . would, remember, ether women ‘Buffering ly as © resuT* of the traffic. If h®T voted for continuance they . would not only vote for the Trade but for th© continuance of the suffering of women and children. * ' " 1 m-i