PROFESSOR AND PROHIBITION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9695, 25 June 1917, Page 3

PROFESSOR AND PROHIBITION

To the Editor "N.Z, Times." Sir,—The impartiality of "Trust the Alliance" commends itself. It is a pity, however, to introduce personalities. If anvone who has had, what the unregen. erate term, “a good time” for the greater part of the "brief space," for spiritual or other reasons, reforms, knowing that there is joy in heaven ever one sinner that repenteth, we should not object; or when one, who, brought up on tea and water after the strictest sect of the Pharisees, has reached a refrigerated old age, ignorant of the pleasures of a real , good time, tries to drive the rising generation in the same path, we must not condemn. It is human nature all over the world, as Butler puts it. to "condone the sins we are inclined to hv damning tlio.-e we have no mind to.” so let that pass. Circumstances alier case;, as your report of the magistrate's ruling shows—a picture may be

good in an art gallery but legally indecent in a shop window! Query, what is legal indecency? In oarlj' days the remedy for extreme wickedness'' was cold water i«i the form of a deluge externally applied; in these days of scientific democracy it -is thought better to apply it internally. It may be noted by the way that the incident of the Deluge did not prevent Xoah from enjoying himself after his own fashion on his private estate when ho landed, but whether before or alter 6 o’clock is not recorded. So still there nm.v bo hope for ue.—l am, etc., TOLEXIAXCE.