CAST-IRON CHEEK.

NZ Truth, Issue 156, 13 June 1908, Page 4

CAST-IRON CHEEK.

«. For a confounded check that knows no limit commend us to those two young and old womanish • (of hofch sexes) institutions known as the Women's Christian Temperance Union and the Wellington No-License League. At the adjourned nveeting of the Wellington Licensing Committee last Monday when the question of a certain application for a renewal of

a wine license came up for argument Dr. McArthur, S.M., chairman, said the Committee had received two letters on the matter. One was from the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and was under date June 4, and ran : — "Seeing that there is an application for a renewal of a wine license m our city, we write on behalf of the Women's Christian Association Temperance Union. A large and influential meeting ot the above Union was held to-day, aud it was unanimously carried *"' :>'; we as a body of women beg the £ sensing Committee not to grant any jj^ense ror the sale of wine.' It is wolKinown thati women m large numbers frequent these wine "shops. We feel that no tongue can tell the suffering m the homes where the families drink either wine, beer, or spirits. It is sad enough to visit the homes where the fathers are drunkards and the mothers are sober women ; then the children are always more or less shielded or protected. But the sadness and the sufferings ot the children cannot be described when we visit the abodes (for we cannot call them homes) where the mothers indulge m this vice. Sincerely hoping that the Incensing Committee will, by refusing to grant the renewal of the wine license, Irelp those who wish to protect their weaker sisters, and remove the stumbling blocks out of the wai' of our sons and daughters. We remain, etc., E. A. Bloxall (president) and C. S, Low (acting-sec-retary)." • . The second letter was from Mr W. j. Comrie,' chairman of the Executive of the Wtellitigiton No-L4cense League an-d was as follows (under date June 4, 1908) :— "I have been directed, to convey to you the following resolution, which was unanimously agreed to at a meeting of the Wellington No-License League this evening :— 'That thifi meeting of the Executive of the Wellington No-License League respectfully urges the Licensing Committee not to grant any Ne.w Zealand wine licenses. " Naturally enough the reading of those letters m court; was sufficient for a suggestion from counsel that the tv/o fanatic i bodies m thus attempting to influence the Court had coffinisnted on a matter that was sub iudice, and. therefore, were guilty of gross contemjit of Court. To this paper's way of thinking the blasted impudence'of these two nose^-pokittg, eavesdropping Social Gimlet Brigades was treated far too lightly, and Dr. McArthur,' S.M., as chairmata, should have given some indication that ainv attempt on 'the pjart of these shriekine sisters and blatant brothers would he resented m a proper and prompt and legal manner. It is the fanatic who always hurls himself, or herself, into the breach, they are the fools' who rush m where angels fear to tread, and had Magistrate McArthur ordered E. A. Bloxall and C. S. Low and W. J. Oomrie to come before him and m open Court apologise for their gross cowtemipt, "Truth" thinks, that this species of fanaticism Would receive a check. As it is, not a licensing matter comes up for consideration nowadays but that these Social Girnblets poke their knotty snouts into it, amd With | exaggerated pictures of the effects of I wine and liquor atternjpt to play on the feelings of fools who are too weak; too illiberal, narrow-minded and mean to realise, or admit, that there is a brighter side to the doom depicted by the shriekers. No one is foolish enough to deny that drink m maqy instances is ai curse ; but if the liquor traffic is to be controlled the W.C.T.U. and No-License I Leagues are never to the fore With any reasonable suggestion. It is drunken mothers and fathers and poor children eveiytime. We hear nothing of huge monopolies, of the Customs revenues, and the part played by liquor m the conquering of [disease. That, 'however, is apart from the question. Fanatics cannot be resonaJble, it Is not m their nature to be so. They are impudent and irresponsible ; i they possess confounded and cast-iron cheek, and m their zeal attempt to sway Licensing Committees elected to deal with licensing matters. The old women of both sexes Who thus impudently attempt to interfere With the course of Justice should be Severely repri-^ manded and the effect ought to be that the kill-joys will shut up. We don't know What would happen if an association Wrote praising, the virtues of strong drink and recommending that brewery- and hotel licenses should be free to all, and bull-dozing the Committee into granting: licenses indiscriminately. The possibility is that the Committee would be offended and our gaols would be full of misguided men Who Were beings purged of their gross contempt.