A WORLD CRISIS

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 28, 29 October 1925, Page 7

A WORLD CRISIS

. REV. FLETCHER’S ADDK 'CSS Despits the inclement wt ther there whs ;t large Httendir, c at the Northland Hall on the 20th inst to hear .he Rev. Lione 1 F!ett W cher deliver his address on The Challenge of the present World Crisia.” Ihe address was r ".isrkablv convincing, and held the a audience with its simplicity and " evident sincerity. Mr. Fletcher knew what he was talking "bout, and put his tacts in a forcible manner. After having been introduced by thg Rev. W. Elliott, M.A., Mr. Fletcher commenced by dealing with the position of Europe at the present day, where hatred and suspicion still held sway a uong the Nations. Although the} called the present time a tii ,e of peace, the fact was that omy the bankruptcy of the world had prevented another war following the Great War. Many leading t tinkers, and world leaders, inch ding •uch a man as General Smuts, of South Africa said that a do id as black as that which hurst arid swept Rome away, was hat tying over the world to-day. The whole ef civilisation was being tested, y and if it failed to go forwa’ t on a work of righteousreconstri tion there is no doubt it woui I be overtaken by disaster. low, then, were they to face the present • crisis. They must remember that Ahe islands ot the world had exer"w cised a far greater influence on the destiny of the world than continents. It always had been the maritime people w ho hati been the leaders in progress anti development. History would repeat itself. The Pacific Ocean was destined to become the great centre of commerce of the world. Peopled us it was bv great and growing nations on <*ithot mi ire, trade between those lands would increase and ttie world ci the future would have the Pncilo' ns its centre. In that rs* New. Zealand would be the Great Brito.n of the Puciiic an l she was 1 lutul to exe’cise t very g'eat influence on the world's history. This fact contained a tremendous challenge to the present day. Ther. was the whole serious position and the wonderful possibilities of toe future to face. It would require courage, patriotism and sin eri y to face it, and to do that was rghr and for the highest good of thiit , own people and the world at large. With these three things in nind they must examine the di n traffic and see v.hether the rot inuance of ihe traffic was like y to help or to hinder them in the great work they halt to do. ' hey must examine history am. ask: “How lias .his traffic affectef the Nation in past crises?” Let '.hem take the Great War. Did this traffic with its countless millions of capital help, or did it hinder their Nation in that terrible t me ? He had been the Min ster o the largest Congregational Chur,>. in the Empire during the war, a , church that had more tba 650 men’s names on its Roll of Honour. He had come into lose contact with the homes and families of these men during the * terrible days, and he was : r likely to forget some of those experiences. Perhaps evervi le in New Zealand did not realise vhat people of Britain went thtough * during the war. Before the Government rationed oit the food, the people in the great ilics stood in ques outside the food shops endeavouring to get a un::ll portion of sugar, or butter, or margarine, On some of the free- j zing days of the winter h> had seen thousands standing i t the grey light of the morning w; ting for the shops to open, anr still thousands there :rt the end f the day. Many went terribly -hort in those days. Then came the rationing of the people wl n six ounces of sugar a week was an adult allowance, four ounces ot butter, of meat and the other things in proportion. Peopl lost j weight, ntapy were under fed, i / nrTI everyone suffered troi 1 the need of food. Bakers in those ; days were net allowed to use the pure witeuten flour to make bread, but the bulk of the loaf was made of bean meal, pea fl an and * other stuff usually fed to stoek, How did tlie drink tr.iffi- help •wlnle the Nation w is threatened with starvation. It was gtvte 4 Jjcilitii ; for the manufacture of alcohol which meant .’hat in 1918 alone it was cstini ited that (0,000 tons of sugar and 870,000 tc is of . grain were destroyed to m :c it * possible for shareholders of 1 ewery companies to reap in r cher dividends than they had dor.a lor years. It seemed incredibl ■ but jt was a fact that in those lays when there were not endugh hips to take to England .the tens of millions of buslp ls of win at which were stored in Australia end New Zealand, yet the lnfuor traffic hadshijtping and transport

facilities placed at its disposal in abundance. When men and I munitions were needed at the ; front to end the war and when food was needed at Home for the workers, the women and children. There were not enough ships for 1 work, but the traffic used ships and trains and it was said that I they were placed on an equality witn the transport ot food and | munitions in this respect. Not only so, but at Home while the } soldiers were away giving their | lives for their country, many of the homes were wrecked and the S women ruined by the curse of the i drink. Dividends trom brewery I shares increased, values of shares increased, men were made wealthy, but at what a price. The speaker charged the drink traffic ; with the prolongation of the war | and the consequent death of thousands of magnificent men. ! Britain had to fight under a severe ! handicap, whereas if she had . been free, she could have concentrated all her energies, her means | of transport and her food stuff to ; the needs of the Nation. So the j drink traffic imperilled the Nation ; in the past crisis, so it was doing : to-day so it could do to-morrow, j t nd he appealed to everyone in I these formative days to free New Zealand from its presence. At the conclusion of his address Mr. Fletcher retrieved an ovation ! and was accorded a hearty vote 1 of thanks on the motion of Mr. C. ' !3. Michie and the Rev. Elliott. The meeting concluded with i the singing of the National AnI them.