ASPECTS OF PROHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19283, 22 September 1924, Page 10

ASPECTS OF PROHIBITION.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —As one-who fought strenuously in the old days for reduction and no-licenso, X would say that the papers in New Zealand opposed those issues just as bitterly a-s they oppose national prohibition to-<lay. All hinds of schemes for ages have been tried to make the liquor traffic respectable, and all and every scheme has been an absolute failure to prevent drunkenness, disease, poverty, and crime amongst the great masses of the people. Sir George Fenwick concluded a moat interesting article in your journal a short time ago by asserting that the all round effects of national prohibition in America had been increased prosperity, comfort, and morality, and that whatever crime and evasion of the law took place the criminals and law-breakers were the abject slaves and emissaries of the Trade. It is not a reasonable proposition to expect national prohibition to be an instantaneous success, for the simple reason that the pre-sent-day reformers have to eradicate the awful habits among the people for which the Trade has been responsible for centuries. Sir George Fenwick is of the opinion that if another vote was taken of the American people they would vote for national prohibition again by an increased majority. It is time the people realised that the Trade cannot be regulated to prevent drunkenness, crime, end disease, and the only remedy is the clarion cry, Total abstinence for the individual and prohibition for the State,—l am, etc., Radical,