THE NO-LICENSE MOVEMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5732, 30 October 1905, Page 2

THE NO-LICENSE MOVEMENT.

PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES AT NEWTOWN. A SUOOESSFTJIi MEETING. At the invitation of the Newtown NoLicenso party, the live gentlemen who have announced their intention: or standing as candidates at the coining election for the representation of the Newtown electorate in Bfudiameut addressed the electors at||the "Victoria. Hall, Adelaide road, on Saturday evening. There was a fairly good attendance, but the hall was not filled. The chair was taken by the Rev B. L. Thomas, who stated, in opening the proceedings, that tho candidates who would" address the meeting had come forward to announce their views ou what was ideally one of the most serious economic questions of the d-iy, at tho invitation of tho Newtown No-Licenso League. It was understood that the nolicense party would not declare for any candidate, and the gentlemen who offered their services as representatives of the electors would be called to address tho meeting in the alphabetical order of their names, and would bo given twenty minutes each, for their addresses.

Mr W. H. P. Barber, the sitting member, said ho had accepted ivitli pleasure tile invitation ol' the Newtown No-Lioonso League to be present. His action with regard to the present licensing laws could easily be justified. There were, he admitted, some defects and irregularities in the existing law which should be remedied, and one of tho results of which was that Newtown had been deprived to some extent of its privileges. There had been quite a number of liquor bills before Parliament. In 1903 there was a bill brought up with a “ iio-liconso, no-liquor clause,” but it did not pass its second reading. It was lost by two votes. A good deal of pressure had been brought to bear upon him in tho matter, and had l*o voted for tho measure it would have passed its second reading; but lie had kept to his hustings pledge, whicli was that ho believed the principle of tho licensing laws and the control of tho liquor traffic should remain in the hands ot tho people, and his vote would never bo given for its removal from the control of the people. (Hear, hear.) Tho hill introduced in tho following year contained a modification of that clause, which was that a vole of the people should bo taken, and it was struck out by tho committee of the House. Under all the circumstances, ho thought tho present law, if properly carried out, would prove very effective. Supplying liquor to prohibited persons was not permitted, nor was gambling on licensed premises, and clubs wore compelled to close at the same time as the hotels, as also had “ Bellamy’s.” These were some of the most important improvements that had been nitidis by the last Parliament, and ho could say that his vote in every instance went in favour of these improvements in the licensing law. These were facts which, spoke stronger than words. (Hear, hear.) In his opinion, the law as passed by Parliament was fair and equitable, and enabled the will of tho people to bo ascertained and given effect to. If the people of Newtown honoured him with their suffrages his vote would always ho given for securing to them tho privileges which they at present enjoyed. (Applause.) The candidate answered tho following questions, which were handed up by the Rev F. W. Isitt, in tho affirmative:—• (1) Will you pledge yourself to maintain the present licensing laws so far as they recognise the democratic principle that tho people have the right to deal with the liquor licensing system, and will you oppose any legislation which would deprive them of their right, or limit their power to determine at tho ballot-box whether licenses shall or shall no‘ be granted in tho district? (2) In the event of its being found tha; the new provisions made for taking tho local option poll jirovo unsatisfactory, and lead to the declared determination of the voters being sot at nought, will yon support such legislative proposals as may ho ncc.3ss.iry to remedy the defects in the qct whicli prevents tho people carrying out their purposes? (3) Will you also demand such legislation and insist upon such administration as will ensure the stringent enforcement of tho nolicense and licensing laws in every electorate ?

Dr Chappie congratulated the NoLicenso League on the method it had adopted of arriving at the views of the various candidates. One of the most specious charges that was made against no-liceiiss was that it was not. favoured by medical men; but ho maintained that it was, and it was absurd to state anything to the contrary. Sir Frederick Treves, who was the most conspicuous surgeon in tho medical profession to-day, had declared that aioohol was a most insidious poison, and Dr Ecclos had stated that human vitality was being sapped by the want of food which was mainly cluo to the money spent in the purchase of alcohol. Tho Public Health Department in Paris had taken up just as emphatic position, and the French wino merchants were so alarmed by the “ posters ” that were stuck up all over the city of Paris that •they agreed that if tho statements contained in them wore true, the Government should not allow this'poison to ho dispensed as it was. Ho (Dr Chappie) congratulated himself upon the fact that ho was one of tho pioneers of this movement when ten year ago he submitted a paper on the subject-to the British Medical Association. (Applause.) Ho maintained that everything that could <he said in favour of tho liquor traffic was untrue, and that it was tho duty of the medical profession to endeavour to save tho-people from the evils of. alcohol, just as it was their duty to try to save them from cholera or any other fell disease, for alcohol was responsible for hioro deaths than all tho other diseases put together. (Hear, hoar.) Alcohol not only cursed those who took it themselves, but its effects were handed down’ to vho third and fourth generations. Humanity would bo enormously the gainer if this curse were entirely removed. (Cheers.) Tho ou)y method was tho closing of tho hotels. (Hear, hear.) They were told that people >in America found that no-lioenso was not effective; but ho maintained that in Now Zealand, at Bruce, Mataura, Ashburton, and Port Chalmers, it had been

proved, to be effective, and crime had been reduced by 60 per cent. It had also been said Uiat no-licenso injuriously affected business; bat results in New Zealand had shown that the adoption of it had really improved trade, because there was more money circulated in the purchase of real necessaries. (Applause.) In answer to questions. Dr Chappie said he believed that as the facilities for procuring liquor wore increased, so drinking increased, and as those facilities were decreased, drinking decreased. What they hoped to do was to save young men and women from habits of intemperance. (Cheers.)

Mr Hindmarsh said lie would not discuss tho evils of drinking, but ho was entirely in favour of allowing tho people to rule ou this question, and would certainly do nothing to cut down their powers in this direction. If tho question could bo eliminated from domestic politics a great gain would be made in the inarch of democracy. Many questions of groat importance were obscured by the continual harping upon this subject by the extreme sections on either side. It was for those who hold themselves to ho democrats to look at the matter from a democratic point of view, and to see that more and more liberty was granted to tno people to govern themselves and deal with all such questions, and tho principle of a referendum to the people should bo brought to hear upon the subject. (Cheers.) Since ho had been in Wellington lie had been endeavouring to uplift humanity, not only on t’ho liquor question but on tho labour and other questions. One of jtlie gravest charges against the prohibitionists was that they talked about no other subject which, had for its object the uplifting of humanity. (Cries of “ Oh, oh” and cheers.) And another thing he objected to was tbo bitter way in which they spoke of tho publicans. (Cheers end uproar.) Ho repeated the statement, and urged that one of tho leading precepts of Christianity was that men should not speak ill of their neighbours. Not long ago ho had spoken to Mr Dawson, who was a wellknown prohibitionist, and asked him if ho thought Christ would use the savage terms which some prohibitionists used towards publicans, and that gentleman replied, “ No; I am often ashamed of them.” (Cheers, and cries of “Nonsense,” and laughter.) They wanted more practical Christianity—what would their Lord and Master have done? He would have closed tho bars, perhaps, but He would have pitied the publicans, and would not have abused them. (Cheers and laughter.) Why did not temperance reformers como out, and help tho democrats on other matters—tho land question, for instance? Personally, ho was on tho side of tho Democracy on every occasion. (Hear, hear.) The Rev F. W. Isitt asked Mr Hindmarsh if ho was aware that drink was the chief cause of the shortening of human life? Mr Hindmarsh said he was awaro that prohibitionists ; were doing good work in endeavouring to ameliorate tho conditions of human life, but they could do a good deal more. They were not wanting in courage, and they were splendidly organised, and they could do a groat deal more tlian they did. (Hoar, hear.) The Eon T. W. Hislop said Dr Chapplo had informed them he was one ot tho pioneers ot this movement, hut ho could distinctly remember reading a work by an eminent medical man in Edinburgh on “Alcohol, its Place and its Power,” and afterwards ho read Liebig, and found that bo was just as determined on one side as Miller was on the other. Sir Frederick Treves liad been referred to, but personally he (Mr Hislop) did not believe in trotting out the opinions of medical men, because it was a question upon whicli every man could form his own opinion from his own knowledge of the body politic, because medical men did not agree, and lie did not think that the average layman was capable of being an arbitrator. But tho experience of the world was that the drink traffic was ono that should bo restricted in some way. Formerly in England people sold liquor just as they pleased, but it was found necessary to license the trade. Personally, ho had always favoured the principle of local option, and that the people should say how tho trade was to bo carried on. Although ho had been opposed to the present Government, lie would be sorry to say that they had acted contrary tirtlie wilt of tho people in this matter. He thought that such a great public question should bo relegated to the people themselves. (Hear, hear.) In answer to a question, Mr Hislop said ins sympathies were with tho system of State control, not only in regard to tho liquor question, hut in regard to a good many other matters, but under the present system of government ho did not see, if there was a strong feeling, why there should not be a referendum to tho people. In reply to questions, Mi" Hislop said that he was not interested in any hotel property, except that his firm might through a business arrangement ho mortgagees. Mrs Hislop was not interested in hotel properties either, and ho wiis not tho Wellington solicitor for Speight and Co.; he was not interested in any tied houses. (As Mr Hislop resumed his seat lie was loudly cheered.) Mr T. M. Stephens, tho last candidate to address the meeting, said that after thirty years’ experience of many different parts ot the world, ho could speak strongly in favour of no-license. Personally, ho did not know brandy from whisky, or either from beer. (Hear, hear.) Ho held it to bo tho moral duty of every man and woman to vote prohibition, and that was ono of the principal planks of his platform. Ho had had twenty years’ experience of this colony, and he maintained that in the back-blocks and in tho King Country there was no such sly-grog selling as there was in tho towns. He would vote no-licensa every time, and let other people take up such humanitarian matters as came to their hands. (Applause.) The Rev J. Cocker moved a vote of thanks to tho speakers. Ho said tho No-License League had deemed it advisable to invito tho various candidates for tho Newtown seat to come forward and state their views for themselves, and ho thought the meeting would agree that it was well this had been done. (Hear, hoar.) The motion was seconded by a dozen voices, and carried amidst applause.