THE NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9337, 30 January 1892, Page 3

THE NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE TO THE EDITOR.

Si It, —AVill you allow me a few comments on your reference in last Saturday's paper to the work of the above organisation. I accept with satisfaction your recognition of the laborious anil rather thankless task undertaken by those who grapple with the drink traffic. It is also very gratifying to find, that you recognise the drink traffic as a " prodigious evil." Sir Win, Fox himself hardly employs stronger terms in his denunciations of this foe of humanity against which he has taken up arms. I am grateful, as one who lias given some time and effort to promote the work of the New Zealand Alliance, for your expression of sympathy with that institution because of the apparently desperate character of the struggle in which it is engaged. I beg further to thank you for your frank admission that temperance advocates are, beyond doubt, "fighting the. battle of humanity." After these expressions of kindly encouragement and recognition of earnest endeavours and worthy purpose one should ho disposed to take kindly any advice offered, or suggestion made r.s to the means most likely to be conducive to the attainment of the desired end. You are kind enough to offer advice and to make suggestions. After commenting upon the measure of success attained by the alliance "in a few licensing districts "—which, by the way, suggests the thought that you do not quite apprehend the fact that the work of the alliance is to secure by legislation the right of the people, by direct vote at the ballot box, to veto all sale of intoxicating beverages within the district in which they reside—you say, "No one can answer for the long future, hut clearly the time is not ripe for prohibition. Would it not be i wise for the alliance to drop the heroic task and concentrate every effort upon that which ' is possible—reasonable and satisfactory control ? " Permit me to say first, Ido not think it would be wise for the alliance to drop the task, "heroic" or otherwise, to which it has I put its hand; and second, I do not believe that " reasonable and satisfactory control"' of the liquor traffic is possible. The ground on which you appear to tender the above suggestion to the alliance is the length of time during which it has laboured at its uphill task and the apparent hopelessness of that task. But, Sir, think how much longer society has been attempting to arrive at " reasonable jnul satisfactory control," and with what result ? The meeting for the inauguration of the United Kingdom Alliance was held at Manchester on the 26th of October 1853, 39 years ago nearly. How long is it since the attempt to effect " reasonable and satisfactory control" was first made ? An act of Parliament was passed in Scotland in 1436, of which the following is the essence :—" It is statute and ordained that gif any man iu a burgh be fund in a tavern, or wine, or ale shop after the strike of nine hours, and after the bell that shall be runging in the said burgh, the alderman and bailies shall put him in the King's prison ; the wilk gif the alderman and bailies do not do, they shall pay for ilk time they befound culpable 505." That was more than 4-50 years ago. Two hundred years before that, in 1285, it was enacted iu England that "taverns should not be open for the sale of wine and beer after the tolling of the curfew." Kver since that early period in the history of our country, down through 600 years, to the present time many and clivers efforts have been made to accomplish the task to which you would have the New Zealand Alliance nnw direct its efforts. Nor has the attempt been made in the Britisa Isles only. The practical wisdom of statesmen and philanthropists throughout the civilised world have been taxed to their utmost to bring the liquor traffic under'' reasonable and satisfactory control." And what is the result of it all ? You, Sir, supply the answer. The drink traffic to-day is a "prodigious evil " calling as loadly as ever for "reasonable and satisfactory control." No Sir, if the liquor traffic cannot be prohibited, if the heroic task set itself by the New Zealand Alliance is hopeless, the experience of more than 600 years abundantly proves that the task to which you invite the alliance is impossible of accomplishment.—l am, &c,

Dunedin, January 26. Prohibitionist.