PROHIBITION DEBATED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19158, 26 October 1925, Page 12

PROHIBITION DEBATED.

MEETING AT HAMILTON. [BY telegraph.—own correspondent. ] HAMILTON, Saturday. A debate 011 the question "That prohibition will not benefit New Zealand" was hekl in the Hamilton Town Hall. Jlr. F. Burke spoke for the affirmative and Mr. C. A. French for the negativeMr. J. A. Young, who presided, said the gross proceeds would go to the Waikato Hospital. The hall was crowded. The chairman kept a firm hand on the proceedings, which threatened to get out of hand on numerous occasions. He promptly checked interjections, but permitted the audience to applaud to its heart's content. Tho debate was conducted on a high level and cheers were afterwards given for Mr. Young. HUMOUR AND PATHOS. OPEN-AIR MEETINGS. (Published by Arrangement.) The prohibition meetings which are beings held daily on the Civic Square are proving a source of considerable interest to Auckland citizens. Arranged as "lunch-hour talks," from 12.30 to 1.30, they frequently continue until 2.30 and later, while groups of interested listeners remain to discuss the subject of prohibition long after the appointed speakers have departed. The speakers sometimes request the audience to give, if possible, any good reason why the liquor traffic should continue, and strange indeed are the suggestions offered. One member of the crowd seriously suggested that liquor should not be abolished because it was good for snake-bite, and was rather nonplussed when reminded that there were no snakes in New Zealand. Another suggestion that moved the crowd to gales of laughter was that drink stimulated the imagination. The speaker smilingly agreed that he had heard of drinkers seeing pink snakes, yellow lizards and green mice, but thought this an insufficient reason for voting continuance. Pathetic incidents are not unknown, as, for instance, when, a young married woman asked permission to speak, and stated that she was a drunkard but dreaded to think that her young boy should grow up to know that his mother was a drunkard, and that he, too, might be ensnared in the liquor habit. Her plea for the crowd <0 vote prohibition met with quick and heart-stirring response when a working man stepped forward and declared that 110 would vote prohibition for her sake and urged his mates to do the same.