LIQUOR AND LIBERTY.

NZ Truth, Issue 473, 11 July 1914, Page 6

LIQUOR AND LIBERTY.

. ♦ A Problem For Parliament and People. Like Banquo's ghosC the discussion on the drink question 'will not 'down. Would-be political economists, animated with the notion that money spent on liquor is .so much waste, and that the money, if spent upon reproductive works, would tend more towards the wealth of the community, are everlastingly haggling <m print ' with self r ' styled champions of the brewing fniternity, scarce one of ,whom is worth calling a champion. Indeed, these socalled champions are nothing but very bad amateurs, 'whose gospel is made ( up of comparisons between licensed and non-licensed districts m New Zealand or America, and whose Bible is a book of statistics, as dry as they are misleading. For statistics may be made to prove anything, if persons re- ' lying on them are permitted to draw any, deduction from them they choose. But political economy is too big a subject to be settled offhand by people prone to examine only one side of the question, and by. those who only trou- * ble their heads- about it when they wish to throw a stone at the publican. ', 'And that, "Truth", is afraid, is the chief animating principle of, the majority of those who are loudly barracking for Prohibition. »■.'■•' .■'• :.'".■-. • ■ ■ '' ■ t On the other hand, -the more active" ; supporters of the Trade are drawn from those who are engaged m the liquor traffic and whose material ; interests are to secure a continuance of the present licensing, laws. Both ' of these parties- are extreme — one op- . posing the aim and objective of the other. Neither of them, m the advocacy of their particular point of view, gets down to bed-rock- — the economic basis— and treats the subject, not as it affects their industry and livelihood,' not as it clashes with their religious or sectarian beliefs, but- as to' how it affects the standard ;of living and liberty, obtained and maintained by the workers under the present competitive system of industry. This being- so, the liquor question cannot be settled just yet. The publicans and brewers may win the majority tof the voters and secure continuance — that will not settle the drink question. The Prohibition party may carry, the great mass of the electors with them and secure National Prohibition—that will not settle the "drink question. The scoring of a win by either of these parties does not secure a settlement, because "no question is ever settled until it is settled Tight." Therefore "Truth" was glad to • see that the great moderate party, so long silent, tho party that has no narrow sectarian and Pecksniffian bias against the Trade, the party whose opinions are not influenced by monetary consideration, individual or class, has determined to take a hand m the game and endeavor to save New Zealand from making itself the., laughing stock of Christendom and the happy hunting ground of the sly-grogger , and moonshiner. It' is to be feared that m the past, moderate men— the moderate drinker and the' moderate thinker— have shirked their responsibilities m regard to this great question. Now that some have roused themselves to action it is to be hoped that.they will' not rest until their point of view on the liquor question has been fairly and fully placed before' the House "-of Parliament. And, if this is done, there cannot be the slightest doubt m the minds of right thinking men, but that a statesmanlike effort will. be. made to remove the question from the triennial chopping-block upon which it at present rests. Such a scheme, surely, must be devised/ and. that without much further delay if law-abiding folks are to continue to live m this fair Dominion without being subject to a most drastic and rigorous restriction of personal and social freedom. As Mr. Menteath very truthfully and succinctly pointed out, any kind of legislation which attempts to regulate social and personal conduct is necessarily of a highly experimental and hazardous character,, and, therefore, no such laws should be passed until the State has at hand very :. strong presumptive evidence that they will secure great benefits for tho country as a whole, and will entail very few disadvantages. And, that, if such laws are passed, considering tho very serious difference that they must make to the personal habits of our people, and , the social, commercial, and financial conditions of the country, it is necessary for the State to take special precautions m order to save tho established arrangement, whatever it may be, from the danger of sudden recurrent alterations, thereby imperilling extremely important commercial and industrial Interests, disorganising the country's finances, throwing our whole social system out of order, and obscuring the real political issues at elections. • • • And when "Truth" takes note of the class of Individual ' who Is anxious and enthusiastic m the ranks^of tho Prohibition advocates, and also sets Its optics on those who provide tho ammunition for the wordy watery waifaro m tho form of monetary subscriptions, It Ib forced to Ihe unwilling conclusion that obscuring and confusing of live social and political Issues Is the real object uppermost In the minds oC the proflt-ptnchlng sectarian schemers who direct the agitation from within. True, many sincere and earnest men have been misled into espousing the cause of No-license In tho belief that the alms of tho founders of the movement were disinterested and commendable. A careful Investigation m the direction Indicated by "Truth" Is calculated to bring about a revelation that will more than 'startle Inquirers. Prohibition Is wrong In principle and flagrantly erroneous m logic. It seeks to permit A to prevent 13 from doing something, simply because A doesn't want to do It, whereas 13 docs. It argues not from the use but from tho abuse of drink. These surely nre vicious methods and destined to lend to strange conclusions. Tho personal liberty of the subject cannot brook such interference. It Is tho old tyranny In a new form. The forerunners of the black-coat bible-banging brigade who, for a price, ore backing up the commcrcltil thimble-riggers, were wont to prohibit our futhcrs from believing or worshipping other thnn n» they directed and tuughi, Tho law that give* one section of ihe community the right to »ay what andther shutl not drink, ta just uk reasonable. Just us logical when it seeks to say what another shall or