THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9029, 16 April 1888, Page 3

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In reply to my queriesof the sbh Mr. Suiter has replied, but has answered none of the queries. lam pleased to see he admits that it is unfortunate that there are so few btewefrs and publicans in Auckland, but takes credit that they are regular attendants at church, and contribute largely. He also takes credit for resuscitating the Church I attehd ; but I am informed it is otherwise. As to money given by brewers for building churches, such has been the case in several instances ; bub the question is, from what source did the money come ? He refers to Sweden and Norway. The law in Norway is that if , a man is found in the street intoxicated he is sent home at the expense of the man that supplied him with the liquor. As to prohibition, I did not touch on the matter; but there is a quiet, silent force Sccupying the public mind, and will make itself felt in connection with the demoralising effect of the liquor traffic. " Fair play," in to-day's issue, also has a " dig at me, and runs away on prohibition and the Licensing Act, which I decline to reply to, with the exception that I am pleased to see he thinks I would take care of the " bawbees" for the Church. Which would he rather see, the "bawbees" go to the publican or the parson ? —I am, &c. John LaMb. April 13, 1888.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I think it is too bad to treat our temperance friends as they have been treated in these late elections. Their aim is a good one. If I understand it at all, it lies in a nutshellthe lessening of the monstrous evils attendant on drunkenness. The evidence of the evil of outrageous drinking of intoxicants is before our eyes every hour of the day and every day of the year, in destitution, broken health, lost respectability, ruined hopes, separated families, fatherless children, and brokenhearted parents. In fact the evils of the curse are so patent to everyone that the litere enumeration of thertl is As an idle tale. The great bulk of the people seem to think that the whole thing cannot be helped. But it can be helped ; it has been helped, and our tcriiperance friends have done. it. Individuals, have been recovered, families joined, and friends made happy by the efforts of our philanthropic fellow-citizens. Seeing these facts are so, it ought to be our duty as thankful electors bo at leas!/ second them in any good work they have in hand, ad far as reasonably lays in our power. It requires no shewing to see that lessening the opportunities and temptations to drunkenness would materially bring about good results, i therefore, they ask that drinking shop® I

should not be kept open later than ten o'clock that in comraqn with other businesses, no Sunday trading should be done; and, lastly, that no vicious up-stairs bars should be allowed in the premises of public houses. What is the use of our temperance societies expending their time and money in self-sacrificing endeavours to effect individual cures, while the vice factories are not prevented in some measure from turning out the moral wrecks in such unabated numbers. If the time ie too far distant and the circumstances of society are at present too much involved to admit of any sudden and immediate change to abolition at least great good can be done curtailing the traffic. This «ur friends, the temperance party for City North, intend to try on Monday. They deserve a chance. am, &c., J. A.