NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10768, 17 May 1911, Page 6

NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

THE FIRST SHOT. Last night was a fireside night- with<Mit doubt: therefore it is not surprising that- the audience at the Opera House Xn-license demonstration, was i'ot very large. Bin t!ic magnetism or tile speakers announced to deliver addresses was siicii that people enough -jiiitiefi their liiesidos to iili the dress circle. jin'l there was also a sprinkling dov. ;.-tair>. The- Hon. George Jones pie-.:ded. and. seated beside him on the platform were the speakers. }lr G. 11. I'ooie. 11. I'. (representative i;t Auckland West) and Mr !•'. Milncr. M.A. (Hector oi' Waitaki JJoys' High School), aiso the lie vs. "R. J. Porter. F. d. I'uckingham, \\\ .J. Williams, T. H. Roseveare. Adjutant Dixon, .Messrs T. Mathieson. R. Alilligan. and A. Fraser. The Rev. T. H. Roseveare opened the meeting; with prayer. The Hon. George Jones said they were met- that night to discuss a very important question, or to listen to addresses 011 that question from gentlemen wellknown to them. One hailed from Auckland—was the member for Auckland West—a vigorous speaker. He was a very courageous gentleman, who held strong opinions, and was not afraid to speak them out. It was good to meet a gentleman of that kind, who had the courage of his convictions. The other speaker was a citizen of their own town, who cared for no mail, but went on his way doing that which lie conceived to hi proper.' He also, was a vigorous speaker. Mr Jones Tegretted that there was not a larger audience to hear these speakers; but, at the same time, he did not think that the paucity -if the attendance was in any way indicative of disinterestedness. It was rather an indication that the most of the people were satisfied with what had already been accomplished 'and deemed everything secure. It was a great thing for those taking part in this great' crusade to have a large audience seething with- enthusiasm. However, they must be satisfied- with what they had. He felt sure that the small audience would act as-the -little leaven which leavenoth the whole lump.

Mr Poole said the cool air was a tonic to a northerner who was' accustomed to a hotter climate. It was about three years since he visited this part of New Zealand, but as a politician lie thought it well to gain some information that might be valuable 1 to him -during the coining session. -He held strong opinions, and he was there to state them. As Bret Harte said, "I calculate generally to speak my whole mind. Folks don't like- a man what truckles with men." They were opening up'i.t new campaign in the liquor battle, and 't was desirable that every man ! and woman should be alive to responsibility and opportunity. : Knockers-up in the Old Country woke up the city workers,' disturbing 'them 'm. their- sleep. ' They were there -' to disturb the people of Oamaru,'fire them"with a new enthusiam;"to " arouse ■ them from possible lethargy, that-they 1 might realise that though they were- free of the curse of the liquor "traffic it-was their duty to respond to the call •■ for assistance by those who were not in an - equally fortunate position. One of the financial magnates of America, Mr Lawson. desiring to spend a-large portion of his fortune in fighting- financial combinations, wrote; a- • :book, "Frenzied Finance." and commissioned a clever man, Charles Russell, to travel over ; the world. Charles Russell, while in Australia, told Chris'.' Watson; the first' Labor Premier, that he had heard Australia was going all to ruiri. "I have come along." he said, "to look at some of the ruins, and I find them pretty substantial." "It is the same with me in your No-license areas," said Mr; Poole. ' "I have come along to look pt ■ some of your ruins, and I find them pretty substantial." He complimented the peoplo of Oamarfr on the decision thev-had come to. Their position was' like the : edifices of the town, strong, j substantial, and permanent, he hoped. . Other people were watching them and seeing how thev maintained their decision. There ware 46 electorates in New Zealand carried no-license by the bare majority. That would give thcm\ some idea of the intense feeling of the people of the Dominion on this question. Those people were watching ■ Oamaru and asking Oamani to keep the flag flying that it might be an inspiration to them to carry the day. .in America, whenever no-license was car- ' ried in any area, the tricks, genius, and ingenuity of the liquor traffic were devoted to trving to discredit that victorv. Though they had carried nolicense in Oamaru they, were liable to an attack from the liquor party, trying by all manner of tricks to mislead the people. He wanted them to organise and show that 'their decision ' was not to he discredited. He would like to call their attention for a time to testimonials.from"some of the areas thathad abolished the liquor bars in America. He held' in his hand a pamphlet of testimonies as to the results of the Adams Law in Tennessee. When that law was about to be carried the liquor party went from -end to end of the State endeavoring to discredit the possibility of reform. Mr Poole told one or two stories of the campaign in Tennessee, and concluded with the fact they illustrated: that money, instead of'being turned into liquor channels, was. bv the abolition of the saloons, turned back' into its legitimate channels. The ' result had been _ in Tennessee that business had been improved, shopkeepers had been securing their money instead' of booking debts, crime had decreased, and the general prosperity had so advanced that citizens were expressing their satisfaction on every side. He proceeded to quote extracts from tlie pamphlets^—all striking : testimonies to tlie prosperity and sobriety following in the' train of no-license. At Lebanon a new school for young men had been established. How remarkably like Oamaru-.this was. Here they had one of the finest schools in the Dominion. Thanks- to their 'magnificent environment■the result of the carrying of no-license and the influence of their Tiigh-principled rector parents were not afraid to send their children here from all parts of New' Zealand; Their school was to be one of the most notable schools m the Dominion. Everything that helped to clean a community up was playing into the hands'of the boys and girls who were to become theresponsible citizens of the future. How the saloons -helped :to prepare a hoy was illustrated by, a court-case'in Sydney, Wherc'a : boT sued his father and ohtaincd £IOOO damages for assault wherein- through an-attack-the result of his father's drinking liaTnts he was nearly -blinded. The working people of this Dominion in'thepastfhad hadtohe con-, •tent with an elementary education for •their children while'thff.sons and daughters of the had heen sent to colleges and universities-I—the 1 —the traffic was such a lucrative one. But now the working people were -beginning to put their'money in their pockets'instead of passing' it' over the oar's, arid 'twere with the' co-operation of university professors and. others being enabled to''secure free democratic- advanced -education. Mr Poole \verit on to speak of Kansas, where-when''touring the : States -he' had. had the honor of speaking on the sameplatform with Carrie Nation'. Came Nation had purchased and 'donated an I institution for drunkards' wives. About a vear after the saloons were closed there was not an inmate in the institution which had previously heen filled to overflowing. Instead of a refuge for drunkards' wives the building was now ail educational institution for girls. The State Governor of Kansas, who was not a fanatic nor what people termed a "wowser," which was a contemptuous term for a sanctimonious,character —this State Governor testified to thesplendid moral and physical effects of the abolition of the saloons. The man that-bought an American for a fool got n-hadJiafgain. but out of the f)0 mil-. lirihs'iri America 40 to 50 millions were under no-license. 'Preference was everywhere being given to total abstainers. -The railwnv companies and the Waterhurv Watch Company had flung the drinker out. They wanted the man who was mentally, physically., and morally efficient- enough to attend to his business and make of it a success. In tins race for officiencv were they in New Zealand m be left behind?. He asked them to make up their minds _ to see that this reform was not denied in their liar: icular area, to see that by their cra-hering of strength and increase of vote thev might give encouragement to ■h.-:r who were not so well off. Wherever no-license was carried in any par- i ; ;,,,-!- r nr ,-a ;,i ArnTi'ca it was wonderful tli.- n-sv tl-.c L'quor party endeavored to bring evidence to show that the I reform had not heen a success. He j

quoted further from the American Prohibition Year Book for 1910 —the latestissued—to show the fallacy of some of the arguments and statements advanced against the effects of prohibition in America. It was frequently 'Said that when no-license was carried more liquor went into that area than previously. It was wonderful the way some of the people raised :i protest because they said there was a. greater sale of liquor under licence ilian under no-licensc. The ordinary business man who had an increased sale for his goods by reason of a certain condition would lie glad to maintain that condition. A shopkeeper would not make a boast of it for fear someone should wish to share the profits with him. The only men who did not do this were the publicans and brewers, who because, so they said, they sold more liquor in no-license areas were anxious that no-license should not be carried. They should keep it quiet and not make a boast of it. As an instance of how such returns of increased consumption of liquor were manufactured Mr Pooie quoted the case of a town in Kansas where on investigation of the authorities it was found that account had been taken of all the liquor that passed through the town to other places. That was much the same as Invercargill, which was really doing very well under no-license, hut which had been debited with the account of other places. • The real affect of no-license at Worcester, the town referred to, was shown in the crime and vital statistics of the town. Crime was now less, the death rate had heen lowered, and dia-' ease lessened. If they in New Zealand: were spending money on a public health: department and sending, out inspectors: to-inspect their "milk sheds, their! dairies, their slaughter-houses, etc., it; was up to them to see that this thing, that w'as' creating so much ■ havoc bothin this country and in others should be pitched out ojice and for all. Where no-license had been tried in New Zealand it had been -a magnificent success,' 'and, no. doubt' about it. A great deal was made of sly grog-selling. The greatest sly grog-sellers were not in the i noflicehse" areas; hut in the cities where ,t!he brewers and wholesale dealers were; ; where '.the;liquor was nianufactured and •sdnt out' deceiving the authorities and the people: •' It said that ; sly grogselling' was rincreasing in- no-license -areas. That .was not so. There was itiare sly in licensed areas, 'where : it Was' carried oh. under the shelter _of the legalised traffic, so that it could" not so easily be detected. Theonly way to wipe it out was to sweep a'wiiy' licensed 'traffic and all." No-license had recently,heen carried.in Waihi, and. sonle'-people 'were to show that it had been a failure. There were some, who eveir> said 'that ,the Waihi shares had dropped because the Martha mine; had turned sick when no-license was carried. Mr Jones: Because there were no deep sinkers. ' ' . Mr Poqie: ".Even.such absurd state-, meats'as'that are resorted to. ; But the 1 devil has to work overtime.to find an excuse for the liquor traffic, and there is a glut of -lies on the market." He and Mr Taylor ;had fifteen-nights to-i gethef in the North and in their meet-: ings the thousands of people were al- ; most unanimous lin supporting nolicense. In Waihi they found the place reformed; people boasting of the increase of business, and the town clean and respectable. Later he had visited Waihi ; wife I 'a l political party. ■ JTheyji had : stayed alt'6rie T of the old hotelsone of those ruined places—and even the drinkers of the party had been compelled to acknowledge* that the table and accommodation were the equal of anything they would find under license. Some people who were not drinkers said; "For God's sake, let us have license, because we can get good meals and accommodation, tiiedpar.traffic pays ; for it." "That was a particularly mean way of looking at the matter. Because the worker and the victim of strong drink 7 ' passed -his 'money'over the'har, they would get good accomfnodation without' paying, the"- full price- for it. He"'himself would far rather pay the proper price for a clean bed and good meal than work on that method. One young man in Waihi said to him that no-license was a Godsend, that their football team could depend on the •player's, because the pTiblica'n did not get after them: -Did >they 'ever -know a'-becrtank,' a -booser, that was any good in athletics? • They would never : find one. 'fia'h'elie'ved in the yoting people having' their ! pleasure—'he''- w : as not a killjoy—but' legitimate pleasure they could not add to with drink. They would find that the most wealthy brewers and licensed dealers never touched drink. They let the other fellow take it: ; He protested against ihe way in which the! vestbd interests in-a democratic country like this exercised an influence over the mass of the people. "Mr Poole said he would like to speak of the damage to child life and other evil effects of drink. Shakespeare called it the devil in solution. They wanted to put Kim into liquidation. It was no use trying to' regulate -the liquor traffic. Bishop Potter in New York said a prayer over a saloon and consecrated it; but it was no use. The same with the liquor traffic —for centuries everything possible had heen done-'to improve the business, but like the; Irishman's farm the more it was improved the worse it got. The only remedy was abolition.: Mr Toole* quoted further from various papers showing the degrading effect of drinC and the cost of the traffic to the country. The revenue question frightened some people. ..They had a revenue of £BOO,OOO a year from the liquor business, and they said that this would have to be made up by direct taxation if they abolished drink. It was strange how .the people endeavored to decrease this direct' taxation by passing their money over the bar—the fireman off the deep sea hoat and. the bushman all working hard to lessen the taxation df the community. ■ Butj it didn't take a 'fellow with the'in-i stincts of a Jew to realise that it was a good bargain for the publican and brewer to collect £5,000,000, pay over £BOO,OOO to the country, and keep the rest. The product of the liquor business was costing them infinitely more than the revenue they desired from it. j There were lots of people who' would; vote for restoration and continuance be- ' cause the : reveriue -would be affected, sbitt'ths:revenue would'.'he adjusted, and 'the people would be'able -instead of spending their money on liquor to spend-: it on better food, better, furniture, bet-.' ter clothes, and luxuries. They -would, save far more on the upkeep_ -of' their; hospitals and criminal institutions thah : they would-lose on the-revenue. He appealed to them for ; .the< sake of their towiri,' for the sake of Sthe .boys in their school/'for'the sake of the coming generation, to stick to .their guns. The, scope of their voting was now extended' and they had the opportunity of-voting, for national prohibition, would not be allowed in the country except for medical, scientific; -industrial and sacramental purposes. They- had two distinct issues hefore them—local option and national prohibition—though an attempt ;had been made to place the two together. ' It was quite possible from the feeling they had ndticed that national prohibition would he carried in November or December. Whether, that was so or not, they had a.work to, flo'in Oamaru to keep l the flag flying by' •making their town""a" credit to" no-, license. —(Loud applause.) :

Mr Jones remarked that the applause evidently indicated that the audience endorsed his appreciation of the speaker. It was splendid to see private citizens such as Mr Poole come forward and speak so strongly and convincingly for no-license. They did not see nlen of the same class coming out to support the liquor people on the public platform. They had instead to trust for advocacy of the liquor traffic to _ eccentric professors and recreant ministers of the gospel—he was "sorry to call them ministers of the gospel, and supposed it was a misnomer.

Mr Miiner prefaced his address by saying that he would cut his arguments "as short as possible: merely emphasising one or two points. His interpretation of his educational duties' was such that he could not stand aside from this great social reform movement. His experience with New Zealand hovs had intensified his optimism, and he saw errand possibilities ahead of our national life if only coercive legislation conld eliminate the pollution r-f the liquor traffic from our midst. Hp wished that all teachers would make themselves conversnii'- with the latest teachings of science in regard to alcohol, and so he fired to preach total abstinence to their pupils, and. above all. to set them an undevinting personal example. The movement for the suppression of th° traffic had passed out of the sfae-e of ridicule and now. with an assured majority of th" people at it« back, seemed to he advancing to its natural and logt-

cal consummation of the absolute elimination of the open bar from our midst. New Zealand had roused itself just in time to a realisation of its danger. The position at Home, where the liquor trade was so strongly entrenched made reformers despair. Lord Itosebery had warned England that the liquor oligarchy must be controlled or it- would itself combat the Government. Let them take up a copy of the Brewers' Almanac and they would realise the stupendous strength of the vested interest at- Home. When the Balfour Government- were in |iower recently oh the brewery share lists figured the names of no fewer than SSO titled persons, 167 peers, and 129 members of the House of Commons. Moreover, thir:teen out of eighteen members of the Cabinet wore directly or indirectly connected with the traffic. What hope of• legislative advance could be expected from a liquor subservience of that type? But the leaven was working even at Home, and men of the stamp of LloydGeorge and John Burns would not 1 long submit to the administration of the traffic with all its attendant corruption and iniquities. The question was indeed one of Imperial importance. : New Zealand had a splendid'chance of- setting an example to the Empire and- to the world. National prohibition had'a great ideal to accomplish, and its realisation would ' hearten reformer's : throughout the Empire. The tide of intelligent and educated public opinion was everywhere running high against alcohol. The Kaiser had warned' Germany that drink-was.her deadliest foe. In 'France'the Government were issuing •public" "placards and : proclamations denouncing the evils of alcohol in un- '■■ measured terms. lathe United States of' America strong .temperance teaching -had been instituted' throughout the schools. •'■ In England 14,718 doctors had signed the- great manifesto present- ; ed to the Board of Education by 'the! •late Sir William Broadbent,-in favor of direct school instruction on the : evils of alcohol and the danger of mode-. rate drinking. Even that prince of Conservative organs the London Times : had shaken itself out of its lethargic subservience to -,the interests of the trade for evei- ahd : ' had editorially acknowledged that "according to- recent developnVehts-of scientific opinion Jit is : not impossible that a belief hi the strengthening and supporting qualities of alcohol will eventually become as r obsolete as a belief in jwitchcraf t.' No man-is- the 'stfO'nger~for taking alcohol and no man is the wiser. . . Even the '• I moderate use of alcohol, in any form, ■ is, on the - whole, -contributory to the shortening of life." ;Thp speaker then i went ;6'n :to- -quote extensively 'from the .Melbourne Age, and -from the dicta of ;'su"ch " woTld-famou's men as Huxley, 1 Morsley, Barlow, Dr; Lor'ehz, Admiral Beresford in support' of his contentions. He emphasised' the fact that New Zealand, with its clean-' leut" -individuality,'- democratic "aspira-: tions, and fine racial stock, was 5n a i splendid position to shake itself alto-: gether free from complicity withv the; traffic. The truest cure and national patriotism .lay in self-denial for the-best' •interests 'of humamty;- The ; traffic could-not lie--licensed for moderate drmking without providing facilities foithe manufacture of drunkards. !History proved that unequivocally. 'The •speaker then showed how the traffic was -•condemned utterly on the economic side; and. proceeded' to show the futility of the Scriptural argument used to bolster up the traffic. He then dealt in detail with-the- medical aspect of the question, and quoted a very representative array of evidence in support of total abstinence, dwelling especially" on the work and experiments of Professor Krapelin of Heidelberg, Professor Laitessen of Helsingfors, Professor Mad':d en "of Wisconsin .College, Sir Victor Horsley of University College;- London, Sir Frederick Treves (surgeon. l to his late Majesty), Sir Thomas Barlow (physician to his Majesty), Sir A. Pcarce Gould, Sir -William-■'Broadbent, and especially to the lectures of Dr German Sims Woodhead, the distinguished professor of pathology at Gambridge University. Their researches had definitely established the fact that alcohol, even when taken in moderate quantities, was a protoplasmic poison. The experimental method of the lastdecade had altogether corrected our views and made us realise that alcohol was not a stimulant, but a narcotic. The word of-science had gone forth in irrevocable terms, and the logical outcome could not long be delayed. Biology .had shown us that alcohol deteriorated the physical basis of vegetable life, physiology shows that even small doses interfere with fundamental activities and body processes to their detriment. Pathology -experimentally produces various disease processes by the action of alcohol. Bacteriology shows that alcohol lowers our powers of i resistance to disease, and, lastly, experimental psychology, by means of exact psychometric tests proves that even in moderate quantities it deranges mental actions. The speaker concluded with an appeal to all to further' the cfl-use of liquor reform in the interests of the young generations. He moved the following resolution: — • "That this meeting of Oamaru citizens. expresses its gratification at the-highly satisfactory results of . no-license during the five years in which it has been in operation in this electorate. It calls upon all who are concerned for the hest interests of the community hot oiily to -vote for non-restoration jof licenses, but also for national prohibition, and so help to secure for the whole Dominion far greater 'benefits even than those secured by no-license."

Mr Robert Milligan seconded the motion:'' In'doing so-he said that while very dire results .were predicted if they carrie'd" no-license - those results had not occurred. It had been predicted that business -would be ruined; but no-license Iliad''.had no detrimental effect On business. The husiness with which he'was connected had" grown- cpnsiderably. He hoped they would-show*-'-at'the poll in an unmistakable' way that they ap-proved'of-the principle of no-license and ;that it had been a success. Mr Milligan spoke of the extended powers they had in their ability to vote for the question of national prohibition. They all- recognised, that local no-license had cer■t'aih disabilities. It was not the /perfect solution of the drink problem.: Their prokimity .to'; licensed areas?was a'very • great "disability to the proper carrying oufc of the principles in .'this electorate. 'The .motion was put and carried by! acclamation.:, :>■•'■.-■.-■•' The Kev. W. J. Williams moved a very !: hearty vote of thanks to the gentlemen who had addressed them. Though they had not got the Opera. House so full tfs : they wished, he' was sure the speeches they had listened to would put fresh heart into them. - In seconding the motion, Mr Mathie,son. spoke "of his experience of: no:ii'censfe in; America, stating that it was an undoubted success. The motion was carried by acclamation.

On behalf of .the speakers, Mr Jones thanked the audience, and said -that if : 'ever tjiey wanted a -gentleman _ to speak; in a - way that carried conviction Mr.'-Poole would be very' pleased to cornddowft again.