NO-LICENSE ASSOCIATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10764, 12 May 1911, Page 6

NO-LICENSE ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Oamaru No-License Association was held last evening in Wear Street Hall. Mr Andrew Fraser presided at the commencement over a moderately large attendance. The Chairman apologised for the absence of Mr W. H. Rose. Apologies were received also from the Revs. F. H. .J. Clark, T. H. Roseveare, and Mr F. Milner. The Secretary (Rev. F. G. Buckingham) then read the annual report as follows: ''Since, our last annual meeting one general and four executive meetings haw Ik'cii held. "Nothing of local importance during the year has occurred to render it necessary to call meetings more frequently. The principal business that has engaged our attention arose out of remits from the New Zealand Alliance. "After the debate at the last New Zealand Alliance Convention, a letter was received from Mr Dawson, enclosing the resolutions adopted by the Dominion Convention, whicli were as follows:

1. That we demand a special vote on Dominion prohibition, with full provision for giving effect thereto if ' confirmed. 2. That this special vote be taken , on the day of the next general election. - 3. That the question he submitted to the electors oh a separate paper of distinctive color, to be kept, and counted separately. 4.' That we demand the bare majority, and. all amendments dealing with the local law affirmed by the Convention of June, 1909. Amongst which are-: The abolition of bottle licenses; no breweries in nolicense areas; no beer depots within ten miles of a no-license electorate; and generally to secure proper and effective administration. "A motion was carried, approving of the resolutions, all -of which, with the exception, of the one dealing with 'the bare majority, have since been embodied in the Licensing Amendment Act of 1910. . ; "This Bill, though not containing all that we desired, is a great advance on previous legislation, and gives us. the opportunity this year to cast a vote fcfr Dominion prohibition. _ "For the Bill, our special thanks are due to the executive- of the New Zealand Alliance and others who were in Wellington at the time, to whose arduous and incessant labors we owe the form of the Act under which we have to fight this year. "In December the Rev. J. Dawson, secretarv of the' New 'Zealand.-Alliance, paid us* a visit, when he explained to us the main provisions of the new Licensing Amendment Act, and urged upon us the necessity of asking for a change in the Beer Duty Act. At the close of the address the following resolution was passed: 4 Tliat this Association requests the executive of the New Zealand Alliance to press for an amendment of the Beer Duty Act, during the next session of Parliament, so as to bring brewing licenses under the control of the people.' - "It was explained that the failure to get a reduction of the heavy handicap of a three-fifths majority in order to carry no-license was due to so many members of Parliament being pledged to the three-fifths majority, which pledge was considered binding upon them during the last session. As, however, this year they will submit themselves to the vote of the people, it was agreed that each candidate, at the coming election, be asked what reduction he is prepared to ask for. '•During the last year there have been 50 convictions for drunkenness in Oamaru. Thirty-eight of these obtained liquor from the adjacent licensed I areas,'leaving 12 as the result of drink !in Oamaru. The lesson of this lies on the surface. No-license is credited with the drunkenness which properly belongs to license. The proximity of licensed areas tends to nullify the success of nolicense, and therefore Dominion prohibition is the only remedy. "The prosecutions for illegal dealing in liquor have been 15. Nine cases were dismissed, six convictions were recorded, and fines with costs for five of these cases amounted to £57 9s 6d, and m one case a month's imprisonment. _ "An argument used by many against the success of no-license is that the drink bill of New Zealand is' steadi 1 \ increasing, despite the number of noliccnse districts. In answering this argument Mr M'Combe very clearly demonstrates the success of no-license bj pointing out that, while the drink bill of New Zealand annually increases, the drink consumed in no-license areas shows a decided decrease, .thus proving that the increase is altogether the result of an increased _ consumption m license areas. In a strict analysis which he lias made of the fig-ires from Parliamentary returns, he has shown that while the drink bill per head of population is over £4 in the licensed districts. it is under £1 in the no-license areas. Once again, the only remedy is Dominion prohibition. "We are now within a few months of the elections, when we shall have before us two issues—non-restoration and Dominion prohibition, and our privilege will be to strike out the topline in both papers. At our last meeting preliminary arrangements were made for the coming campaign, air Hiett, who did so well for us during the last campaign, has been appointed for similar work this year, and will probably commence operations next month. ... .„ "The success of this campaign will depend largely as before on organisation, but there must be strenuous and united effort on the part of all our helpers in this great reform. There must be no negligence on the part ot voters when the day of the poll arrives, for not only have we to keep what we have already-attained in our own district, but we have the opportunity this year of joining our forces with all our comrades in. the great effort to sweep away what is acknowledged by both friend and foe to be the. source ot a, large percentage of . the 6Uttering, and sorrow of the Dominion. • Tile Chairman remarked that-though as an Association they had hot been* very much in evidence, the report showed that the Committee had been awake and had dealt with everything that called for consideration. The Rev. W. Nichol proposed that the report be adopted. He thought that, considering that the two last years had been a period' of comparative rest-,' the. report -gave evidence of much endeavor. The no-license public should recognise that the officials had j to be constantly working while others were resting. 'There were matters not mentioned in the report with which the officials had had to'deal. One matter was an attempt—fortunately abortive—to secure licenses for two houses within the electorate. The Licensing Committee decided against the applicants, and they had not, therefore, to pursue the matter further. He referred to the statistical portion of the report. In the convictions for drunkenness it was interesting to note that the large proportion got the drink outside the nolicense area. That was, lie believed, the fact with all their localities. In Hampden, for instance, he had rarely seen a drunk mail since the hotels closed. That was an interesting fact and a strong argument for no-license. They should make known the statistics as to the drink hill far and wide—-not onlv in New Zealand, but in Australia — ami even in the Old Land, where the battle was being waged and false statements uiade. Mr Aldred seconded the motion, and hoped that all members of the Executive would be ready to put up a good strong fight for the next six months. Mr'l. H. Milligan then read the bal-ance-sheet. This showed that the Association started the year with a balance to credit of £44 6s 7d. During ilie year £55 7s 6d had been collected. The credit balance was £4l ss_ Id. Thev were in a slightly l>ettor position this' year than last, as the Alliance levy was paid up. This beirg a campaign year they wo-dd need at least el 10 more than they had now. To get ' this they needed more collectors to see the new people who had come to the town, as they could not expect tlieir old friends to contribute more than ihev had been doing in the past. The balance-sheet was adopted on the motion of Mr Grenfell. seconded hv Mr Russell.

The election of officers resulted as follows:—President. Rev. \Y. J. Williams; vice-presidents, Messrs T. H. Mathieson. A. Fraser, Revs. T. H. Roseveare. and W. Niehol; treasurer.

Mr J. H. Milligan ; secretary, Rev. F. G. Buckingham ; Executive —Messrs F. Marshall, Aldred, Hiiliker, Grenfell, Russell, J. D. Familton, Rodman, Rose, R. Milligan, Valpy, Common, R. Milligan (Stour street), .-Yorke, Misses Mary Milligan, Ferguson, Hewat, Mesdames Alfred Smith, R. Milligan (Stour street), Williams, Dunn, Hiett, Davy, Cunningham ; delegates to annual conference. Revs. W. J. Williams and F. G. Buckingham. It was explained in regard to country representatives that delegates from country associations were always accepted as members of the Executive. It was resolved that the third Monday in each month be the regular meeting night, and the place of meeting the Baptist Church Hall. Votes of thanks were accorded the officers and executive of the past year, the trustees of St. Paul's and the Baptist Church for the use of their rooms for meetings, and special votes to the secretary and treasurer.

The Rev. R. J. Porter congratulated Mr Williams upon the position to which he had been appointed. Ho referred briefly to the work which Mr Williams had done, and said lie would no doubt do as good service in Oamaru. He himself would not be able to take much part in the campaign on which they were entering. Many members of the Association had been engaged for a long time in temperance work —some of them could go back 50 years to the time in which tlie.v had first signed the pledge and endeavored to do something for the cause. They had cast their bread upon tho waters, and were now beginning to find it after many days. It was said that by securing no-license and abolishing the public bar they had made Way for a great deal of private drinking. There was none that saw'more of the people in their homes than he did. Last year he paid 920 visits, and in not one single instance did lie discover that drinking in the homes was on the increase. He believed also that at weddings and public celebrations drink was being abolished'. At' three weddings which he attended recently theie was no liquor. They had further t*ie statement made by four doctors of Oamaru to the effect that drinking was not increasing in the homes. But they had not reached their goal yet. What they wanted —what they aimed at—what was now attainable and within reach was Dominion prohibition, making it illegal to import, sell, or manufacture liquor for any purpose other than medicinal —and he did not think that? was much —or other purely necessary purposes. They had no-licepse; let them keep it, seek to extend its boundaries, and make it as effective_ as ! possible; but let them keep in view their goal and not rest till it was reached and the accursed sent back to the regions from which it came. That sounded extreme. "Why was it necessary to advocate the abolition of the liquor traffic? Mr Porter proceeded to answer this question by showing the evils which the traffic carried m its train. As far back as 1853 Abraham Lincoln, in dealing with the subject, said: "The most effectual remedy would be the passage of a measure altogether abolishing the liquor traffic. There must be no more ■ attempts to Tegulate the cancer; it must be eradicated." He had not the least doubt that when they said their goal was Dominion prohibition they would lose a number of votes. They would lose the votes of those who did not wish to abolish the traffic, but they would gain the votes of those who did not like local option. He had no doubt that some of those who said they did not like local option but would-be with them for Dominion prohibition were simply bluffing, but many of them were perfectly sincere in their objections. He felt sure that this yfear they were going to have a large vote on a fair field. What they wanted was a new battle-cry: not alone "No-license, but "No Liquor," so that they might get their people to take an interest in the poll. At this stage Mr Porter remembered that his subject "was to have been "Lessons from the Last Campaign. They knew as well as he did what the lessons were. One lesson which thej* should have learnt and they had neglectod was to pay more attention to enrolling people as total abstainers. They should also pay more attention to the country districts. After brief introductory remarks touching upon the maintenance of reputations, the Rev. W. J. Williams quoted the figures 'recorded at the polls at Oamaru in the past. Though the figures recorded-at last poll were very satisfactory as showing that the people were going to keep no-license, they were not altogether satisfactory, as the people had displayed indifference m going to the poll and consequently their majority had been reduced. Oamaru played a very large part in the last campaign. No testimony was more valuable that that of the Oamaru doctors, and no address was more effective than that delivered by Mr Porter. What they had now to do was to convince the world that Oamaru had driven the drink traffic out and was going to keep it out. Mr Williams referred further to the widened area of privilege which they had in the right to vote for Dominion prohibition. By that they were called upon to do tlieir utmost to set the whole of New Zealand free from the curse of the liquor traffic. This enlargement of privilege carried with it an enlargement of responsibility. Each voter was now responsible, not for 'his own electorate only, but for the whole Dominion. In view of this larger issue temperance workers should study with %esli interest the foundation principles "of temperance reform. They should be in a position to give an intelligent iauswer to those who asked on what grounds they could justify such an extreme measure as national prohibition. _ They should make themselves acquainted with the best literature on the subject. There was the pamphlet of Professor Salmond, who, from his easy chair, sipping his glass of wine, condemned prohibition and total abstinence as being opposed to Scripture,- common justice, and: common sense.' They should read that pamphlet and hear the worst that could he said of prohibition. To be sure, Professor Salmond said nothing that had not been said 50 years ago, but he said it in such a nice way, such an attractive literary style,- that they should hear what he had to say. Then they, should read the reply by Mr A. S. Adams, whose keen legally-trained vision detected serious flaws in every one of the Professor's arguments, and who, with crushing force, 'demonstrated the validity of the whole prohibition programme. A mora effective reply to Professor Salmond than even the clever reply of Mr A. S. Adams was the pamphlet "Is No-license a Success?" by Jim Harris, Karaka Creek, Thames, "who went to see for himself." The no-license people wanted to show that their argument was not based on mere sentiment but on eternal truth and righteousness. On the motion 'of Mr R. Milligan, Messrs Porter and Williams were heartily thanked for their eloquent and inspiring addresses. Refreshments were afterwards provided by the ladies.