WINE AND WATER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1291, 26 November 1896, Page 19

WINE AND WATER.

to the editor. Sir, —Everyone is talking about Prohibition, but yet the following conclusive arguments have not been mentioned : —lt is said that anyone drinking a glass of beer consumes so much alcohol, and the inference is that the alcohol is of necessity the immediate cause of injury to his system. But he has not drunk alcohol, but alcohol largely diluted, which just makes all the difference. If I drank 10 glasses of wines, each glass of strength of one-tenth part of alcohol, I should probably somewhat suffer, but if I drank all these one-tenths at one time I should very probably die. I could drink the ten glasses containing diluted alcohol with some ill effect, but the one glass of pure alcohol would kill. Or, again, it is said that beer contains no nutriment, or so little that the gain, as far as food is concerned, may bo disregarded, as there would be so little nitrogen consumed. But one substance largely used by teetotallers, and largely praised as all-necessary for health, contains not one atom of nitrogen, and that is pure water, which contains only hydrogen and oxygen, and should, therefore, according to this argument, be not used, as unable to feed the body.—l am, &C Common-sense. November 17.

THE REV. MR SPROTT'S SERMON. I TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —While feeling- the greatest admiration for the Rev. Mr Sprott's outspoken remarks on the abominable prohibition circular addressed to all ministers of religion, I feel regret that he should have considerably marred his otherwise excellent sermon by announcing an indiscriminate adhesion to reduction of licenses. He admits that reduction will not decrease drunkenness, but that it would be a " clumsy way " to compel committees to close houses convicted of breaches of the Act. Is not this " doing evil that good may come ?" Mr Sprott may rest assured that where reduction is carried, for every house closed by reason of misconduct ef the licensee, there will bo five closed against whom no complaint can be urged, or a sacrifice of five righteous for one sinner. Scarcely theological teaching. Besides which sections 76 and 81 of the Licensing Act ISSI give ample power to the committee to determine a license for misconduct at any quarterly meeting. To attempt to apply reduction to this city would be an act of most absolute folly. The influx of visitors has not yet commenced, but complaints are rife of insufficient accommodation. In this connection the Chief Commissioner of Police has grossly misled people both in and outside the city. In his report to the Exhibition Committee he says J —" That, after an inspection cf the city, it was found that there were 08 hotels in Wellington, which could accommodate 1077 visitors at Exhibition time. There were also a great many lodging-houses where good accommodation could be procured." Surely Colonel Hume should know there are only 51 licensed houses and one private hotel within the municipal boundaries, and only 49 in the city licensing district. It is such blunders that convey wrong impressions, and tend to lead moderate people astray, perhaps as indicated by the Rev Mr Sprott. In the interests of the municipal revenue, the progress and prosperity of the city, it is devoutly to be wished that every elector will pause before voting reduction at the forthcoming election. —I am, &c, Verax.