DEPUTATION TO SIR JAMES ALLEN

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9694, 23 June 1917, Page 3

DEPUTATION TO SIR JAMES ALLEN

To the Editor "N.Z. Times." Sir, —The Mayor (Mr J. f, X»uke, C.M.vr.) cut a funny figure in this deputation. At tue so-calied citizens meeting he raid ho would not stand tor placing disabilities on the soldier in connection with his obtaining a drink. Isow the Mayor knows that wnen lie supports closing hotels at G o'clock he is proposing to place a striking disability upon 3 the soldier, who is in the training held all day while the citizen is free to use hotels ail day. It was for this reason that the British Board of Control has kept the hotels open for the refreshment and entertainment of munition workers and soldiers till 9 and 9.30 p.m. But New Zealand is not a munition area, and Colonel Potter has said that it there is As> he 6 o’clock closing then there must be wet canteens in camp, otherwise he would not he responsible for the conduct of the soldier. It seems to me, sir, that this 6 o’clock closing agitation is unpatriotic and directed against recruiting. Is tno Mayor lavcurable to wet canteens? Dr Newman has dropped his charge of drunkenness against the people of New Zealand. Why? Because >t was shown by your correspondents that his charge was baseless. But the doctor having repented of his ‘ trade gins, now sajs he has seen the good effect of G o’clock closing in Great Britain. He failed to offer the Minister any cogent or reasonable argument for "imposing more restrictions ux>on the free and self-controlled people _of this country. Dr Newman, for political reasons. is joining ' the other agitators, thinking that by heading this agitation he will embarrass the National Government and obtain some personal political advantage for their having overlooked when forming the Ministry the incontestable- claims of the member for Wellington East to a portfolio! Mr Hutcheson showed that the Mayor had not understood the object of the deputation. Six o'clock closing ’ was •not for the soldier alone.” So it is directed against the soldier after all. The soldier is good enough to bo entrusted with the defence of the Empire, but he will not be trusted with a drop of rum. The military authorities know better than Mr v Hutcheson, and give the soldier rum and other comforts when required. The soldier is good enough to fight the Hun, but according to Mr Hutcheson he is not good enough to know when he has had enough unless the hotels are closed at 6 o'clock. Mr C. B. Morison touched the weakness of the 6 o'clock closing agitation. If they closed the hotels at G “they would get the illicit business," which was infinitely worse. It is tp prevent people embarking upon the illicit business that the present licensing system exists. The other day Police-Superin-tendent Priest told the magistrate of Adelaide (where they have 6 o’clock) that sly grog-shops had grown up like mushrooms all over the city, and it was not fair to the licensees that these grog-shops should exist. The “dens of iniquity” would grow up like mushrooms in Wellington if we have 6 o’clock closing here, and the last state would be worse than the first. On this point I am in agreement with Mr Morison. The Minister for Defence agreed with' Mr Morison, but ho told Mr Hutcheson that his charges against the soldier were quite wrong. Sir James Allen also impressed the deputation with the fact that he knew that the “den of iniquity” and the sly grog-shop were the two greatest menaces to the young soldier.

I confess the 6 o'clock closing agitators are on the horns of a dilemma. If they have 6 o’clock closing, then the military authorities say they must have wet canteens, and the Minister is opposed to wet canteens. What are we to do? We have sent away seventy thousand of the finest fighting material the world knows. In point of moral, good behaviour, and bravery the New Zealand soldier is par excellence. That has been all done under existing conditions as far as licensing is concerned. Are we likely to improve upon that performance? I do not believe wo will. To do so would bo to libel every mother’s son that is fighting now for freedom in Europe. Yet that is what this 6 o’clock closing agitation is doing. It is libelling every man who puts on the King’s uniform. It is an agitation to which no patriot can give his support.—l am, etc., FREE CITIZEN.