STRIKING CONDEMNATION OF NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14279, 30 July 1908, Page 7

STRIKING CONDEMNATION OF NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL.

HOW BOYS FALL VICTIMS IN PROHIBITION AREAS., (Published under Special Arrangement with Rev. William Thomson.) No-liconse has been condemned in Invercargill by tho manager of the English ioolbaJl team. "I saw," said Mr Harnett, -'more drunken people in Invercarg'llJ than I have seen in any other city of the Dominion." This is emphatic, and, coming from one who is absolutely unbiassed, cannot fail to convince reasonable readers that no-license is a failure. When asked if from his experience Mr Harnett would recommend any other placo in New Zealand to vote no-license, his reply was most definite to vote against it. He said: "IN THE BEST INTERIM'S OF THE COMMUNITY, MOST ASSUREDLY NOT."

• It will be admitted that Mr Harnett had more opportunities of seeing the true state of matters in Ihvercargill than ail his critics combined. He is known to be a teen observer, is very well informed, mingles, as a man of the world, with all sorts of business people, while his position as manager'of the football team is a guarantee that he knows human nature and sympathises with the young. His pronouncement is therefore an authoritative one. No-licenee accordingly is bad for business men, and worse for sportsmen who love football and cricket. The very fact that Mr Harnett's words have roused the opposition they have proves that no-license advocates are uncertain of their position. What possible browledge can ministers of Nonconformist churches have beyond a very 6mall and limited sphere? The same is true of all no-license agitators. They Know not the people. Mr Harnett's facilities for obtaining information, and for observing facts, were infinitely superior to theirs. This will be admitted by men of experience, THE DANGER'OP NO-LICENSE is specially apparent when it is known how much alcohol is consumed in ' prohibition areas. It is absolutely x bewildering. More is consumed in other and more insidious ways than in license States. The following is from the St. James's Budjge-t of June 5, 1908:—"The Massachusetts Boa.rd of Health made an analysis of proprietary medicines to ascertain their 'content' of alcohol. Shortly after this 'analysis was 'made a society consisting of physicians, clergymen, and others interested in the temperance question collected statistics of the sale of these medicines in six New England States, and the results are sot forth by Dr Bowditch. The number of the medicines, every one of which is called a ' tonic' or a ' bitter, was 42. The weakest was stronger tlian Guinness's double stout; the strongest contained almost as much alcohol as proof spirit, and considerably! more than whisky as it is commonly, sold over the bar." The comparison is as follows: — LICENSE DIIINKS. NO-LICENSE DKINKS. Contents Contents Of Of alcohol. alcohol. Liquor. per cent. ■ Liquor. per cent. Munich beer 4J —'s Sarsaparilla 13i Hitler beer sto CJ —'s SarsapariUa, 19" MiMalo sto Si —'s Sarsaparilla 2li I Clarets 10 to 20 Liquid Beef Tonio Hock .. .. 10to2C (recommended Sherry .. .20& up for treatment Port .. .. 20& up of the alcohol Whisky and habit) .. .. 261 ruin".. .. 30t050 —'a Cocoa, and Brandy) .. 40 to 50 Beef Tonic .. 23 —'s Blood Bitters 25 —'s Bitters (entirely free from alcohol) .. .. 25J —'s Plantation Bjjters .. .. 33,- . —'s Bitters .. 35 ~'s Stomach Bitters 42J —'s Stomach Bitters 44& ~'s Sherry Bitters 47J The sales in prohibition States of these drinks were enormous. Your readers will readily understand how boys fall victims to the drink habit whore such conditions prevail. How unwise, therefore, is that movement which destroys control of tho liquor trade, and paves the way for sly grog-shops, where voutlis are lured to evil ways. Sooner or later, if adopted, the harvest will come, and, as in Maine, which, after 50 years of no-license, is tho most drunken State in all America, boys and youths will develop into manhood, i tnoir moral nature broken and their future blasted. But there is a liquor commonly used in Maine which is known as "whisky while you wait." It is told in every city and village, in "druggists'" shops, latchen dives, "speak-casys," and hawked by pockot pedlers. It is abominably vilo and injurious to health, and when tho hoys and youths take to it, as they frequently do, their downfall is rapid and easy. It is mad« as follows: — 2oz of glycerine £0 drops of arranthalite of ether 1 teaspconful capsicum tincturo 1 teaspoonful vanilla 2 qur.rts alcohol 2 quarts water 10 per cent, pliw tobacco, grated and boiled in water half an hour or longer, and strained through a cheese cloth Prune juico and burnt 6Ugar for colouring. 1 teaspoonful olive oil, with two drops of , sulphuric acid to give the whisky a head, ' If the no-license agitation were to succeed, these are the drinks which would us sold here, and, as similar conditions beget similar results, New Zealand, instead of being the most sober of Australasian Stales, would 1 be the most I drunken. " ' j