LIQUOR TRAFFIC

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

LIQUOR TRAFFIC

VlGOßß®^Fffis'rVE.

Speaking at the Theatre. Royal last evening to a very large audience meeting called by ttye Nfttiepal ,Effb ciency League, Captain H^vykins,; of the 14th ; Regiment,, made, ;,a H Rigorous i offensive lb© ter Urging. ji^hihitjin th© interests of those . sdldiersr v j*ere, weakened and broken by the great trials they had .{borne, his»remarks: being reported in apdther column, papt. .Hawkins said he .disagreed) with ;tb e ytow* „of Mr Jflariull, thq previous, speaker, ion one point, and that 1 wap in regard to the reasons for the payment , ,qf compensation. He objected to compensation: pn every ground, excgpt to ; get rid of the traded The majority of pie people had the. right to make, .their own,, laws. tot their own good government, and there were many restrictions of, personal dibj arty in the public good. n A,.man might . claim' the jxigb&fto drink if he did; hot injure Any, qne but himself, bpt.be can * not 1 claim it ifv it-ihjures others and I the State, Prohibitory laws did riot ; interfere until mnn created a. public j nuisance. ®r iuntUr-rhis dSCtlpns interfer- ! ed ; «with the c.gsnei'rik good;; 4" ri)ri n ’ might iclainj the read impure literature, to have v impure* watt or milk in hip .house, but the moment he went out,,»nd tried ..to sell any of-them the law made; by . the pepplem the interests of j the people stepped in and stopped him from doing dt, because these, acts are a • danger to public health on one handandpublic morality op the other. Fo?,< that reason it t , was right for ..the State step ..in and introduce lawsvin the .interests, of; the people. The people had a i right tO,go ,to the ballot box Arid say that the; liquor trade ;wasruinous to, the>»States;- This principle was recognised . 5 in ciyilisfd. jpttntries. the, kind of “ liboi'ty . 'Shat, had i-been preached. to them, was that the liberty of one man; mi?ant the-ruin-of 1000. The ftitmdation afas/jjot liquor,, but intelligence , : ,and morality. /Mr t.h© Moderate league, had. statedvi ..that C rimo- rWas . bigger ,:in j No-license districts,. .but the.Jact was (that Mr.Armstrong’s ,figure* wet{S: Wet {districts 31.5 v per; IOQQI, Np-Hccnse dis-

fetiets i 32.2.. M Jact, j Magistrate's Court /figures r: : v%e (and he/the speaker,, was preparedto bet a tenner on it ji# if! the audience): ]mt . there were 6300 more offences in,;the wet districts:,. ■. f Taking fourlioensed districts, > NoJth, Gisborne and Timaru, with--a population of &o,ooot, against 'Ahe eight fag districts mentiohed by« Mr > Arpastrcasg, with a population/ .feess <si crimhtdn >the Iftfhpr; W* ,47 -indictable offences, 630 drunks, 143 | .morey prohibition.',ipfderC afld 668 dis■l tinot convicted- offenders. And they ‘must remember there, was not—prohibiittv; ihere- ( ly the prohibition of the- public sale pf liquor. -/>"•- *“./V.'c >/- j v A,. Voice: Why do tWey call Inverj cargill' ‘ , lnveihegviljß”t)iv n * ,;«*&' ! Captain rHawkjna: They don’t now , you . : know > ■ you’ v« left <i *; thorp . now* ■ '• . f -v i-y ;■ Continuing/’ Captain Hawkins said he had »oh Ithe iSlightestV, feeling (Hfcinat the people in the traffic,-ViTher qwsil shadow of the trade was thrown over the wives’ and children of the-country* Many n man who liked, his was .prepared to sacrifice it 4 in the interfiasß .of those coming >: up alter himy 5Vh« Were the men ol'<to-moj , iow? //Why, boys of to-day. And who the, drunkards!'! of to-morrow ? ... .Why* iboyjl )$&,, today. If they went to the ballot box J and voted Continuance, they would be. Individually responsible for the' evils of the traffic and they could not get away from that responsibility. , The ; arrests for drunkenness in thp past 20 years showed an j increase of 186 per cent. The popula- I tion ,-had - oply increased 55 per cent. Maaiy of the arrests, of course, referred to the same individual, but they could hot ’j*et away from the fact that , while -o drunkards were dying out at j th§, boyg.,yrere coming-in at the j other. On iOth April they would have. j to make a solemn choice. On the one ■ pide they .iad'-Jnen 'Wno .-said <they must ; have" their .drink regardless of who goes ; under, and on the other side those who i say that .the children jamat not' be. doom- ! pd- Af fLcan bg that the trafJp bps' a j benefit to the country they should vote tor it, but if it has Jbhen a pft|»ej |lj)ey fhquldi yotq against ft. He admitted that the liquor traffic did circulate a few thousand pounds and. did. employ a pertain of labour, but what of the manhood, the womanhood and i the childhood .-of the country that had been ruined.by .ft? It ’ Wag., jbecahap-• bf.-its lawful /persistent j wreckage, the blasted lives, the ruined : hpmps, th«. misery and the death that tt> caused • that-, he was bear land soul •gainst the traffic. \ . fTper© -:was -4opd 'and continued applause when G&ptain Hawkins resumed his scat.... //A - ? written question, unsigned and addressed v* mlt Hawkins,” which he, said i w as a trick of the liquor "interests'to try and.make put that he had no right -tb y/ewc the uniform, asked/-would be «tatb, ,pn .fccb&sion/ if' any,; * New Zealand. ’ .soldiers;,., proved; inefficient through drink? 4;> 5 i-

Captain Hawkins said that any man upder tne ojfvdiqUhr was ineffieieut. Before/ going; away-, - bften had hard feelings against a man who was pasting hut when he j; Vgpt fa where there was no liquor and wanted someone to : standby hijn in a.--tight M&n. They were’ gbod chaps, every 'one of them, and they must save them from the drink.

A voice: What about the ram ration? v

Captain Hawkins: Yes; I admit that. But. howv About a- thimbleful liepr tEe; froijfe lwe,, ''Mm harm, and in certain cases probably did good. ' s :jArjother question concerned the .at-, tibudkjofi Labour 4o tain Hawkins said that for: the first time .Zealand ;4b«t tejtdtttaoL&e Labour Party Were' straight ‘ out .for pfoA'he Mjtorilapa orgftig the* 'bftt^whibition' on 10th April. *r " **’ . ,Cpntmqpigj ho said it was not a t? wfi&thejf ’ they would,win orf loth April, but a question-las to the tens of thousands - they would win •byv v. .-> ;■-<*.? ?• After other questions had been asked, from the. audience, .the chairman, explained that ■' some, qf ' thq, questions which had been- handed up Were dirty and unfit, to be , placed . before any audience,-- ', ‘ -!■ : ‘v ; - -» ' :

• Mi> Witty, in proposing a hearty* vote of* thanks to the speaker, said he had given them food for thought. Mr J. E. ‘Allen and the motion was ’ carried by acclamation. A yote of thanks to the chairman concluded the rqe’eting. ■ ,■■■■■. ■■■ -

The songs my mother taught' to me I learned-while perched upon her knee; And though they be but simple rhymes I yrckm them- f&ndly.< still •* attimeis, • 'Tis tften-X-i'oaJieeand know The debt of love to her I owe; well >.juetafied shd fiprq Her faith in Woods' • Great -Peppermine Cure.