THE NO-LICENSE LUNACY.

NZ Truth, Issue 168, 5 September 1908, Page 1

THE NO-LICENSE LUNACY.

It v mij;-;iibjb 'bp!; generally; kiiown that! In v^fiojs|taer|pt faceless ; Ofpre. there pt^nds a firpwerf m |fuU .btast.^nd thai the 'busine^ as 7 a. agoing 1 ' concern,' is' wprth more' npid^lhan it m the alleged "bad old' <Jays?' before Noilicense

iria carried and and, bjeer. were . iinportdfi "tp % Gpre is' iWtiittderfully fond of it* brewery; and is ppssibly big^^er-swilliti^ Xcfcjp. m the Dpitoimon/ due -entirely ;tb "the* fact that' the ambeE fluid is| speas^jily get^a^able, and while •the'itpivn ppsesas £ No4icense paradise, it'swflis t^ 'its feeait's content; and ojpocrites t are more ; pife^ful t6;'the Iwi* 1 . than ti^'the. square tnUe m any licensed town m "CJoift'? Own it wili.;nar4ly be /believed b^y in^viduais^ who Jgnprantly yoie^ ;J^ch'

license on every -pension that & .U&j^d. / brewery cquld pp^Uj exiit m a 1 ' tp^i or ; mat sufecwsnt trade j|6uld exist t6;malntaii such aa iistaiilishinent, evenf m &; buyable ; yp^yi'sM iii) sfc|»gex eviden&''!c^d^b£ v presented l to prove the farciijal^sioel ;; Ncf license t&a? the existence^ 01 '» flour?, ish)tog. Ijre^^.^^e,xyery; &t»it ;of -the to^n ojE^E^Mless^Gore. Tie Np-license law doe* not sayHbiii; people shall not cfrii»k jnto^icatjkg liquor, but that it naust|<npt be <£iisiimed m a decent publichousei awl, altnqogb, vthe JNorlieense advocates were pffecfid an amendment to the existing B^ll mating it an ofience to take . "liquor into a Np-iljlcewe district they rer fo§ied tp .accept /it and preferred to shut up'the hptels and. bring about the succession pi evil 9 now having such a baneful eßeci on the social and moral wellare oi""the residents ol v the "cold-waiter" districts. ■■:, ■- ; '* ' : ' . •• .-."- --i >;;•-..>• iiv

From the jump the No-license advocate, has never. been nones. t in endeaypring to^ reduce the. ■: drinking' habit, whicnv : is - a WKolly universal one, or te would: :b.aye : accepted the. amendment proposed;. by the lat6 Richard Seddon, fout he has directed air^his forebs $o the abolition ■of - the. licensed house • and the removal ot<Mt publicans, s the • majbrFEy ol ' whom- are; ; men of . excellent ■>'- character :*.aiid. ;as> stfaight-goefg as will *be ' foun,d ■& in; ..any:' bther l)|anch of . trad(|. t , The^p-Ucetose bounder is an out' and' out faddist, and the publican his; ;b^te noir,. a^id'the? eleo .tors, esp&A&iif tire wpinen^ar^being; gulled in|oT voting Np-license fondly/ -bee lieving tSat' it Will dp aw&yv with ■<; the fliink traffic An , feieir electorate.; It by suth; specious .■practices thai • - hundreilsalid thousands of women's voted" 1 are cap^: tu'red Dy pragmatic pusß- ■frho. : fattenon/ peopje's; ignorance. Misrepxesenta-v tion and ignorance alone are "responsible for the enormous "vote cas^.fpr-No^license. slt,|he last General; Election':- 1 oShbuld you.be rtsio^nt m Gore ai^d desire 'to spend a convivial, evening with -some pals, It* is-' not hfecessary .^to' go to. .the sly grog Bhop, or to the igeni tor bnej as is the

case 4n Ashburton, but you can i openly

order what , beer ; is wanted, bf ? J postHoard ikoihe Brewery,' and be sure ~it' ; will "be .WallaMerlpr you at & dis^btftifig' (sied and be delivered at yous s residehcfe /ne^t day. , Gn receipt of tnfe orders they. ysi& summarised and an bfdef is obtain-^ •cd fro^ii the i Police Depart^nt; ilb ''fanVpdrf' <so ? many. gallons, -the"- "importa(■Jabn' 1 consisting ojh jlriving'tmi^uo^ out i to vthe i depot on the boun'flairy and |»rifaging it back to' the distribution phed on' the breWgry grounds, '''whete it is ta^en away by the.jbwwef,'s customers brrdellyered at the houses/ te"' the writer's last Visit to the graceless he noticed, that only a proportion :df . the

kegs were- delivered by the waggon.

Wlifph went round' as regularly as tbei or baket's cart, and on en•qtiiry fojintf that to' taeet -the fishes o! ■; customers 'Wo deliveries had to 1 ' be made •^-one m daylighj aiid the other' after' dark." On fhe day m question-^ the r majority of the kegs were fpjc evening de-: livfery, thel^hypqcrijes who.'; took'/ their little? cpmf<iiet in' uif(|er the cover of flarkness being m oficases.no-; ted advocates of "tße^fatcicai i No^license. Bear 1 ; m mind the brewery people have ho need to . tUDaitter snnsetvto effect^ their ;,deliv^ies,-tHjSy?\Vare' acting m a, ; thtfrbjttghly legal 'manner throughput, but; like most tra'ders^ tiifey must,,,'ias;.?ar; .as; , po^iblcr" meet, the : wifehes oC their cusijom- 1 ' ers ana cannot be /expected to- reduce their output becausi a gang . of -;iSlo-j license baTrapkers (to theirs vsnam©; be>4t saidf vote' consistently to close! jtheho-j tels, bii^/'.at tje same time^areamongit.

,tiie ihpst Tegutei eustomete ix&rAiiiixeyr* \ cry m ,'tlieir! midst- 1^ tor i£i the JSTo-licenSe districts wlio votes to- Seen tli© present staje of aflajrs. go*

ing, knows well tliat t&e system is .a .distinct failure, but it has so naturally brought deceit and hypocrisy m its traih that the moral character of, the individ; ual has deteriorated, and it will take. almost a revolution to bring about a more healthy state of affairs, especially when it is considered that the rising generation are being reared m such an atmosphere of deceit and moral degradation.'

Not only ; can 'the hpusehplder ; obtain his i beer lejaily. m siich 'an eas^. way^ J»ut the young 'fellows .can similarly; oraer ,' their • iwojgailpnl I kegs ■ ' a^d $&ys i-^ delivery pl :: ' ! 'ihem;':" at : .the 'di^tili.U'ting . shed, theresult be^g ,^at:;^o^'voK^l td;,'2Q^ areVinpre r "ol^ejQ; ' i^ "toTyn,' taaii pepple] 1 ol fliaiKlirier: years-— the : Vlft^j;'caff' : Jtjto;''jii^^;;^yte.;bj.'--his' dwei•iing,;:^whil^t; tihj^'|^ifii^:^^ : sly : vay' ■pf 'indulg^ig; ja^^iy^--»..^he? Ippenvair-:1 ppen v air- : or 'at 'a bonvtyiai mfetm'g "of iis friends m. a^uiet j , placed' : There -$s a park pr riyer^ baiik' ,at. U v ore rpunde4^by pine trees and cpvered with scrubby tregs, long grass, and 1 bunches of (crn ; a walk through it, especially pn afternoon on .Sunday morning is instructive as to vthe depraving effects of the, "No-license systejn, 1 ' Dozens |o( kegs are hidden m the lpng rushes by their owners, and they, With their friends, repair there, and with tße dumpy little cask between - their knees, swill to their heart's^ content, with, the natural result— drunkenness. Were the same people to go into anihonest public bar when, they felt they needed a "long 'vn f M they wpuld do themselves little hanni ,;:but. r ;th"e^^ (present^^ syst^rn /-.is, resppnfor v^it is nbw "happiiiing; and tlief fpectacle^ .pf ■.., a .semi^^nl^ett\.lout taking his. bearings from ."alpine,' tree Voy the riyie^, andr stepping .sfp , many paces to' the , right *^or .let ,t so ,:' as . 'tp.!'d!isco^er ' the exact place where tfiis. keg lies hidden m the' .iangled undergrowth, wpuid, ,we yerii.y believ«i.:,mali;e .lie ; ( ,,mos"t case-Hardene^, cpldrwater; , advocate /. drop. . life clajp^tr ajp i ; agr.ee that 'the " proper iy-conducted, pub^i ... APith . its,;, - .publicT, bar;, is ,. inflnjtejly prjeierable .. io ite fpt*m c wh ; ich j;: is daily ■degrading, the. man|ibpd;.oi the; rising geiieration- m ,-thie.^^ 'Iprphibmbn'' /disrticts bf ■tide^ Dominion, -y^l-: r,^J A ,,cS'^ '"> • ■'

' ■■'•'■.■- ! rir" *"•' .(•;■ : yr ■■■(■■,*■:■ ■■!•.:, :, ■.'..■ • ■...'.. ■-„ i jrThe poU%>iorcey/bpth;v ; iii ; Gore and In^ 'Vercargill/ and:Jhe;^ri^or^s (of thiel courtl ; in; those tpwis biar out: -.-.-the fact, ■: football imatcjhes ;.hiiye: .been ; ihe scenes of •• tpgu|at; . orgies^; gangs ,. of , toijbje-de-iioy.s. . sitting .;in bunches^ round the ground witji Ithe Mbiojuitousj keg.^betW^eeh; their .knees, the, result beings.^hat^. " prpsecutions^ for. disorderly, conduct^andjdiiuiik^niiess have followed m; many instances, and : many, a . lad •.w.tio^ .under prdinary circumstances, would hjaye grown -j^p ,>• to •be,;.a...-clean- ; liying~man, has, r „eaji:iy Jn :i his ca'xeerV .become- acquainted', wi^i ;the precincts. ,ot the=; Police; Cipurt^titie,, inside^ :'<& the colcf cell,; and the application \ of ' thfe . I?oi|ce Offences Act. Can .the Np-license." adyocate.';'p<?in*> J 4P a> §imi^r^ . state ; pi .affairs ever 'having, existed, where ■ the license system-prevails,,, .or. can /they point ,to a similar pcpurrgnce happening at 'any'tirne before the existing blight Was /placed*' on the. town of ,Cr9,re ?; Van tSey, m ; any licensed r.towjtt pomt t 'tp v one instance pf drunk and disorderly , conduct ma pub-'---lic^ park /m r the centre ol the town where a. gang .of meni sajb.^rpund kcVs of beer, drank themselves into a state of incap«.^ acity, and gainbleil. , in a maudlin way under eyes pL hundreds .of pedestrians of both sexes and i.^i . al^ ages.?. Assured^ ly. t&ey cannot; you must go to. a Nplicense town to find such depravity isting. - Invercargill is now held up to; be the nearest approach to an earthly paradise ; the police records of that town .need only • be scrutinised: ,by. any inquirer who desires to be satisfied, as to the. correctness of the occurrence described above. Gore with its brewery is no more farcical than Inyercargill with itsdepots on the actual town boundary, and, the veriest stranger can have his keg of beer or quota ol spirits, deliver ed to him at his private.. hotel half-an-hpur after, he arrives m thejhptel. There is no ; necessity; to labor .the .question m ,aiiy way, vthe, f^ccical,result. 'pf No-license legislation is so apparent .to any thoughtful observer that it Jts a w6ndex that -anyone outside ... of a mental hospital can be found so damned silly as to advocate the retention of^.the. statutes of '.:. the Üb'rtp.ij>l6p.j much ; less oy'' false 'representation and. r^supprer^ion .tacts attempt to widen .^iiis,, present ;i yi^ipu^. scope, "..,.,"""' '!

priat |ii noj(. g.old ai ,t6)tresli.m,eßi rooms

On toe NeW Zealand Railways, tte jcold water push Tieing pandered tq m every/ way, and wlat is » At the last . .stopping place betofc entering, a J^o-liceDse; district a supply of -waipirp is obtained, anS it 'is! consumed 'befptp. arrival fcfc the next stopping place with ■ 9. h&xnif hotel. The 'quantity" bought is always iii excess. ' of what js; individually required, : and' it would be- quite sa'ie .tp'bet thafy drunken^ people can be JQtod .'in eyety ttajjti .thatj pa?ses through 'a. No-license disiir : ict.;v Wo* 'matter, what ,th© <b©tttes Vrje hand&l xound till .'!it^is> jftashsd, snd people who.^diparily woulji perhaps /have one drink .at a/,re^sb. nl e n^: tpbttv, if it; were available, ind^ge to ex-,? cess! simply because of the senile, ..condl-f tionjs which 'prevail ■ and! the fac.t fhat it; is practically forced upon thejna. , In ; no-* other !-p'ari of the i»oininion is this "state :of affairs so apparent as- jq the Soirth-; ia traveller; by a Blow train especiaU,^ cannot! help but notice the.^racti^e gro^ ing day by day, anditas only, another evil following m the train of the Noiicense farce. The ■ man with " the licensie" (usually, a bounder whose moral. 'character has entirely, disappeared). flour-; I iahes m tshe; cold water towns. Heisppsvsessed of "a capacious flask of- fire-water, 'and usually finds customers for a "nip"! amongst people/he knows and passengers! .witti whom they have scraped, acquaintance, during the journey. He has been jpiosely watched-, and With his four or five custpmer^ a^b a time he has been seen ; to .adj'ourii to the smellful public . privy, . tp |;dispensej his wares. What the game was whilte v the express stayed at,. Ashburton, ■could hardly be realised, though it : was a pha^e ,of the No-licenso racket, we are '.sure,, and it was not until ■> one . entered .tne^'iJnd^lass .smofcer .and got into conversation wi.th' one of "(Die "nippers' • thatf! fthe strength of- the Vpocket license"' was discovered. It appears I&at the rep^ tile whq appears to fatten; on . tho. aroma; , surrounding his' smellful bar has! been . at 1 the -game for some considerable time 1 - andis well known to certain travellers, knd on, the return journey he was looked for, for the purposes of cprroboration alone. True enough, , he was plying his nefarious trade and was not without a quota of clients. To what deep depths of degradar t}pn can pebpJe be dragged down by lie system which has robbed , men of their manhood and homes 'of their happi-r ness (of which more anon), and which has done more to ruin the tnotal character of the residents of the No-license districts, especially the younger generation, ' than any vice existent m this fair coun- . try to-day. ,

How it Affects Graceless Gore.