THE TEMPERANCE CRUSADE AND THE PUBLICHOUBES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7799, 19 November 1886, Page 5

THE TEMPERANCE CRUSADE AND THE PUBLICHOUBES.

The yearly elections of licensing commit* tees for the different districts take place in the first week of February, and the Temperance party are already looking forward to the event. They intend to stick to the present programme, and to endeavour to do away with those houses which offer insufficient accommodation, and which are badly conducted. The Temperance party also intend to agitate for one change to be made at the elections, and that is, that every voter shall be at liberty to place a paper in the ballot-box stating whether he desires that no license shall be granted in the district for whioh he is voting. If the majority in any district is against granting licenses, then that shall be a, mandate to the Commissioners. The Temperance party look forward confidently to being able to do away with a good many houses. Partly owing to the blue ribbon agitation, to the decrease of the pernicious habit of "shouting." to the conviction that to take "nips" of spirits during the day is destructive to health, and perhaps above all to the bad times, the publichouse trade has greatly fallen off, and probably on behalf of Home of the houses but a small resistance would be made to extinction. Sir W. Fox and Mr. Glover have just left by the West Coast, to make a tour of the Southern part of this island, and part of the South Island, on behalf of the New Zealand Alliance, whose object is, the total prohibition of the liquor traffic. The Alliance are about to circulate broadcast leaflets showing the evils of drink.