PRO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14359, 31 October 1908, Page 10

PRO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN

ADDRESS AT IXVERCARGILL,

CFhom Our Own Cohrespoxdent.) INVERCARGILL, October 30, • Eev. Win. Ihonifon had a splendid audience at the .Municipal Theatre this evening, when he undertook to prove that no-license leads to drunkenness, His first proofs were drawn from American sources, the speaker assorting that while in the States of New York drunkennrcs had in 10 years decreased, in lio-liceitse areas it had increased to an alarming extent. He warned his hearers not to bo misled by the bald statement that- no-lioonse was operative in Georgia, as although hotels had been closed licenses to edfin quantities up to almost 5 gallons had been issued by hundreds. He pointed out that no-licenso did not eton drinking in the Xew Zealand electorat-as in whicn it had been carried, but only substituted for open drinking in a few'hotels under control a system of surreptitious drinking, which not only resulted, rus in Invercargill, in a great increase of beer-druiEing, but did nioro to undermine the manliness of the people than drunkeirocGs itself. The speaker was listened to very attentively, and handled his subject so well as to commend tlio admiration of tlio audience. Occasionally ho was subjected to interrupt ior.s and ironical laughter, and from one individual to silly caterwauling, which was properly cried down by tho audience. At the closo of the address a good many questions were asked, and wore very ably replied to, though in some cases tlio questioners were apparently silenced rather than satisfied. Whether one agrees with Mr Thomson or not, it mii-t be admitted that he knows his subject thoroughly, Ims splendid selfcontrol, and is extremely clever in replying to questions.