LICENSE AND NO-LICENSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13766, 3 June 1908, Page 5

LICENSE AND NO-LICENSE.

Sir, Mr. W. J. Macdermott, secretary of the Prohibition League, must be experiencing great difficulty in finding an argument in support of *' no-license," since, through sheer weakness, he is compelled to fall back: upon such an astounding cry a* " give jt a trial." i His willingness to sacrifice hi* brother's blood would be amusing were the matter at issue not so serious and important. He asks the people of Auckland to give this fad a trial with" as much sense of.his responsibility as if he were merely suggesting that they should change their brand of cigarettes, or experiment with a patent medicine, showing clearly that lie is regardless not only of the enormous financial interests involved and of the fact that thousands would be thrown our of employment uncle; " no-li-cense," but also of. the fact that " no-li-cense " would disastrously disturb the whole commercial, economic, and .social life of tin* community. It also goes to show that he is appealing to a public (on behalf of his colleagues in the "no-license" agitation) lor support in their efforts to obtain political power, quite regardless of the ill-effect "'nolicense " would have on the moral life of the people of this district. A stage has nowbeen reached in the " no-license" agitation when a considerable class of professional agitators has been created in New Zealand whose living is dependent very largely, if not entirely, upon their ability to keep the whole community in a ferment on this question. Only this week a prohibitionist told me, in answer to my charge regarding the methods of his party, that ho was prepared to take advantage of every opportunity—fair o k foul —to gain the power that he was seeking. The real issue to be placed before the electors at the corning local option poll is: Do tho men and women of this community prefer the present well-conducted -(as Mr. Maedermott readily admits), regulated, open hotel, . under police supervision, where good wholesome beer is vended, one of the best revenueproducintr agents of the State and of the municipalities in Now Zealand, or the stygrog shop, with its degrading environment and unwholesome liquor and attendant upsixsakabte evils? Intelligence, not emotion, must decide this* "ft, ;\V, Bakbt^ iWynyard-street, : . .., ;; :..■:-.■* ,