REV. L. M. ISITT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5597, 25 May 1905, Page 3

REV. L. M. ISITT.

A TF/MPJCiRAXCE PROPAGANDIST. THB CAMPAIGN IN ENGLAND. "X li;ivo practically now hi>cr. in the campaign for twelve years,” sakl the Roy. L. M. Isitt to a “Times” reporter who waited on him yesterday after ho Nnd landed from the Sydney steamer. “When I resigned my' church m Uhristchnrch, in 1893,” ho continued, •\ i order to urge tlio electors of this 'fmntry to return members to tho House* of Representatives pledged to local option legislation, I had very little idea that it would load to my becoming a peripatetic temperance lecturer; but one thing led to another, and ever since then I have been alternating between this colony and the .Motherland, engaged ia the one work. This last trip has covered nearly five years. I started with tho intention of returning for tho last local option poll, bub tho pressure to remain in England was so great, and I know that the forces hero were so well organised, that I consented to stay for another term, and so had no part in tho actromplishmont of tho big victory that the temperance forces hero achieved in 1902. I was not definitely under engagement, but tho United Kingdom Alliance, tho Scottish Permissive Bill Association, and tho Irish Temperance Eoaguo, tho three chief organisations, *.dl availed themselves of my services.” TEMPERANCE WORK IN ENGLAND.

Quest ioikx! as to tlio degree of organisation of Uio temperance party in England, Mr Isitt said: -‘Their organisation is nothing like so complete ns it is hero. Tho lack is they have no on a central committee of all tho societies like our alliance here. Everyone goes on his own hand, and there is no concentration of forces such as there is here. They have a great many ■wealthy people in their ranks, and if their folks gave in tho same proportion as onr people do hero, they iron Id have a huge income. Nothing impresses rao more than tho magnificent generosity of our rank and file in New Zealand, for wo have Tory few wealthy people associated with us in New Zealand.”. ' , .

What are tho chief difficulties yon have to contend with in England, .as compared with what you encounter hero? ■' “In tho first place,” wan tho reply, ■‘tho liquor party aro hugely influential by reason of their vast wealth and their voting strength. Then, again, tho god of the average Britisher is vested interest. Morals and human lives are important matters until they bump up against property rights, but ■wherever that occurs it is a very difficult matter to get any reform to move; and tho compensation question, which wo have settled hero, is the one ■great stumbling-block to tho movement in Great Britain. There is undoubtedly a. very great development, so far ns knowledge of the liquor question is concerned, amongst the masses of tho people; but they are still to a very largo extent uneducated on the alcohol question, and the strange thing is that it is the educated classes who are tho most ignorant.” WHO ARB THE DRINKERS? • Asked who are the largest drinking classes in England, Mr Isitt said; — “ Take any group of the upper or upper middle classes of Englishmen, and there are a considerable number who honestly 'believe that they are toning up their constitution and increasing their chances of long and healthy life by tho consumption of half a bottle of wine, two or three glasses of beer, a iocktail, a chartreuse, and four whiskies and soda within the course of the twenty-four hours. It is very difficult, on tho whole, to say what classes aro most affected ; but‘ I think that there is far less drinking among tho city business men, at all events in business hours. There is still, however, a very deplorable steady ‘ nipping,’ and you see young fellows of nineteen to twenty-two, who in the old days'were content with beer and sweet wine, doing their whisky and soda and their liqueurs in tho regular fashion of old stagers of fifty. Then, as I shall say on Thursday night, tho most menacing feature of all is the tremendous increase of drinking and drunkenness amongst women of all classes.” PATENT STH/L WHISKIES. On the question of trust publichouses, Mr Isitt said, as far as he could see, their influence was very small. Any good they might do in one direction—and they did a little—was nullified by the harm they did in another. It was a significant fact that, while they ran on purely philanthropic lines, he knew of none of them who had excluded tho •patent still whiskies from their bars, and yet one of the largest distillers in England had told him that if Parliament did its duty, not a drop of patent still liquor would bo allowed to be sold, for in that direction lay the gaol, the lunatie asylum, and the poorhouse. Very many men who had spent their life in the trade could not tell a patent still from a malt liquor. The distiller referred to mot Mr Isitt at a temperance hotel, where they had many a friendly’banter. Twelvemonths inter Mr Isitt was lecturing in the town whore the distillery was, and ho became acquainted with the family, all of whom were teetotallers. The distiller also, on condition that his name ivas not mentioned, showed Mr Isitt through his works, and gave him many •of its secrets, which ho is now using tor the benefit of his audiences. THE COMING CAMPAIGN. In conclusion, Mr Isitt was asked as to his plans for tho future. “Well,” he replied, “ for the next six seven months I have got my work cut out for me. and I am afraid the publicans and tho liquor men will not be altogether cordial in their welcome. I wish we could carry out our reform without inflicting loss on any man, but, believing as I do that the future progress and development of this country will depend to an enormous extent, upon tho lessening of the drink habit, I shall plead wherever I .<meak to tho people of New Zealand to banish tho, evil from their midst.”