LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13773, 9 January 1917, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

VATI'ONAiL service To Hip. Editorof " Tlio I'inics." ' Sir,—Your' loailcv of to-iliiy strips a ell ont oi ! p:il rjoll Vni which should iml wjtli approval-troiu iiii relieving iuinds,. Yon ilo, well torefresh" our memories regarding' past -history -opplyiug , tlni. moral •forgnidnnto 'in 'the present ci;isis, Your emphasising of (lie Mr .Moor's viwvs is good .service and it is unfortunate that our Government is not ■ nl (lie .moment complete, as aclion on the lines indicated liy (he Minister and ampVilied by your, writing is almost certain (unless the unexpected happens) to eventuate in the neai fnturi;, • Many of us who are debarred from rendering the "extreme service'' would gladlv obey the call 'ln Cf|Tialise, the'burden', and deem it a privilege and our duty to do so, National taxation and service would go far to most .effectively attain the desired ends and would be preferable to present methods which Ifihe limine ■ 101 l frnm n section only. Were Ihe Government to. exericse its aul'liorily there would pro[bablv be. very few who would olvjec !

to Hie equalising of llie nalioiial burden. Meanwhile Ihe position is only being temporised with and it is unfortunate that the absence of the (wo leading Ministers defers the enforcement of what is so clearly becoming necessary in connection with many phases of the present crisis.—l' 9111, etc,, PATItfOT. January V.

ITOW TO WIN TITIS WAR

■To llic Hililor nf " Tin- Times."

Sir.—Some time ago 1 wrote my opinion of the cause of this war; now I wish to say how, 1 expect, it can be won. To go to history of wars long ago, we find I hat one element prevailed and brought disaster to the world at large, and that was overindulgence in eating and "drinking,' pride, etc, In my opinion, if the Germans had avoided gluttony and drunkenness, they might have succeeded in carrying their plans to a successful issue. They were too confident in'(heir own powers, and underrated their opponents, and went on revelling and ravishing, and so lost their time and opportunity. Now, let us refer to ancient Babylon, with ( - its enormous wall round it, and enough land inside those walls to supply all their wants. 'tVliv diil the Montis mut Persians succeed in taking that wonderful place? For the very -same reason which caused Germany's failure—it was drunkenness and revelling. And if we follow the history of that wonderful country from Chaldea, Medio-'l'ersian, Oreecinm and Rome, al! was lost, through revelling and drunkenness. And 'Great Britain and all her colonics arc following in the steps of Ualsliamr. Nothing can be done in 'England without a banjquct, and our two leading men now in England are doing the same thing, [going from'place to place to be entertained—eating, drinking and talking Land boasting .what they can do. Now, sir, is it not time to call a halt? On looking back over the many years since T came to Zealand—fiftvseveir years—during Dial lime I have

bad many friends and acquaintances, and out of all those friends and acquaintances 1 can count about thirty men of education, ability, and position who now till drunkards' graves, T was one of the.company for years, until one friend after another dropped off, being overcome by strong drink,' and not one of those men- would believe that they would ever sink so low. The men I refer In were leading men in Southland. I ni'av sav thai il is now

over thirty years >inr-p my eyes wove ope noil in llic evils nf drinking; and stnokiti";, both of whicli f gave tip then. Now, sir, il is my solid belief Hint, if \ve wish In win this war, ('real Britain and lior i-nlonios will have to rrL'oriii nnd put'an end to drunkenness. Vote intoxicants out of the Empire. Russia lias done it. So lias France. Why-not Britain? If a nation or individual wishes to succeed ill anything; they must get rid of all hindrances, and I am sure that strong drink is both a great hindrance'ami a waste of means also. After the example, our King lias given, the nation would do well to follow. It is a well-known fact

. to t!io lM'ding medical men of the .world that alcohol is of no ■ val/io as. liiortioiiioV "I/' wUh oxtronrcly' Jilisapjiointqd ; when. Parlia- ' inoiit .votcil in -favour, of having alco- • liolic ill-inks-in House., ;Tlioy\-niight have banished it fionl the House, -sec.--,i n g 111 at tho King- gave .ho' good - a., lend. The great- waste (it- eapitfil tlrnik and tobacco ,is -eiiorm(uis, ami Hip users H-fiiilil be' iiiiieh boitw witliout cither,. . We need hian'y reforms in' New' Zea•lnntl, antij amongst others, we want fi ' -reform jn representatives in; Parliament. Tlic,• political nieihiwr ought.' to be a'mail lielonging lo the class, which they represent. 'Hlonesl. Tpm/\ although no great orator, had the name of bein« straightforward auil true to, tlinse lie represented, and ■ every class ought to put forward infoi from amongst themselves. Thi! professional politicians .ought to be avoided. Let the farmers put fanners iii Parliament to represent- ihem, amt none other, 1 am glad I hat your eyes are open to the fact, that our present (lovermiient is pro-squatter and ought lo be (lis- • nensed with.—l. am, etc., r K. MACGILLIYRAY. Kakanui. .