TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21018, 6 May 1930, Page 2

TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Published by arrangement with the United Temperance Reform Council. HEAVY PENALTY FOR DRUNKEN DRIVERS. London (AP). —Sweeping changes in England's traffic laws are provided for in the new road traffic bill introduced in the House of Lords by Earl Russell ou behalf of the Government. A voluminous document of 85 pages, all aimed at safeguarding human life on the highways, the bill includes among its 100 clauses drastic penalties for drunkenness. As to drunken driving, no accident is necessary to bring down a penalty on the inebriate's head. If he is found drunk at the wheel of an automobile ho is liable to four months 5 imprisonment and a 250-dollar fine. If he has any friends with him they, too, are liable to imprisonment as accessories. A CHALLENGE TO YOUTH. Aye, and in the days to come, someone you know not now will thank God for the life you gav« him. "Keep a safe course, daddy; I am coming after you," said a boy as he followed his father up a mountain-side; and as I close I hear the treble of the child-life of to-morrow saying to you: "Keep a safe course; I am coming after you." What shall your answer be? . You to whom these words are addressed are the trustees of life. You arc but the channel through which "Jie creative power of God is manifesting itself. Upon you, and upon your life to-day, depends in no small measure the destiny of to-morrow. As you read these words, try to catch the vision which I see; a vision of Young England as I know her in our great public schools and universities; and, as Ilook, that vision fades, and slowly .there emerges another; the vision of the England of to-morrow. It is " for their sakes," for the sake of those who will m their day and generation be the fruit ,of your life that we make our appeal. You may get some passing. pleasure from a glass of wine at the dance, or from a glass of claret-cup at the social function: it may appear to be quite harmless. If you say "No" you may find it a little hard to stand the jibe, or the uplifted eyebrow, which will possibly greet your stand for total abstinence; you hlay feel that in certain circles you are a "wee bit out of it"; but, believe me, you will be doing more for England than you think. Others around you who would be weak but for your strength, will bless your example; others, who might only too easily be gripped by the habit, will walk in the freedom of a great emancipation because you led the way. And you will find increasingly that a full, joyous life can be lived without the raise and dangerous elation of alcoholic exhilaration. , The voice of experience says, I can Retail the real joy of life without alcoholic indulgence. The voice of medical science says, I must abstain if I would realise the highest degree of mental and physical efficiency* The voice of conscience emphatically says,' I ought to abstain for the sake of others. If you decide to abstain, yoU will certainly be better in health and wealth and power; but our appeal is not primarily to these personal, prudential gains, but to the larger vision of a life of service. ENGLAND. In England, statistics show that there has been > a decrease of 20 per cent, in consumption of wines. 3.75 per cent, of whisky, and 1.50 per cent, of beer during the hit year. Since 1913, despite a 7 per cent, increase in population, the use of alcohol has decreased 59 per cent. — World's News, July 2, 1929. These results are due partly to education amongst the young, to the high price of hquor, and to the shortening of liquor hours to nine and a-half per day. At the French and Colonial Fruit Exhibition special attention was given to the development of non-alcoholic drinks, fruit syrups, jams, etc., as a means of relieving the wine market. In Italy 16 hospitals have agreed to distribute temperance literature to their patients. In this way more than 3000 people will be reached every month. WHAT THE NATION DRINKS. LESS BEER AND MORE TEA. REPORT OF CUSTOMS COMMISSIONERS. The national tendency to drink less beer and mote tea is indicated in the annual report of the Commissioners of Customs and Excise for the year ended March 31 last. With regard to spirits, there were clearances of 13,061,000 proof gaUons. against an estimate of £12,920,000 proof gallons. After reductions during the two preceding years it was assumed that a substantial rise in the consumption of beer would occur, and the quantity on which duty would be paid was estimated at about 20.73 million standard barrels ot home-made beer and 1.5 million standard barrels of, imported beer. The total revenue Was estimatedtat f 83,200,000. The actual results, however, fell much below the estimate, the duantity of home-made beer duty paid being about 19.1 million standard barrels, and of imported beer about 1.2 million standard barrels. The revenue amounted to only £75,800,000, showing a deficit of nearly £7,400,000 on the estimate. "4 contributory cause of this deficit was doubttess the continued depression in trade, and it is also probable that other lorms of expenditure are becoming more and more attractive to the general public, it iB added. The receipts for tiie year under review were the lowest 1920-21 d " ty WSS increased in A rise had been allowed for in the clear- ?£ c Q e on „. wine > the estimate being put at 15.8 million gallons, but the actual figure was 13 4 million gallons, compared with 14.1 million.gallons in the previous year 1922-23. earS total WaS the loAVOst siusG ™£Hs a °^ a K F} n » Un J»ti°p .of tea during 1927-28 probably exceeded 412 million pounds, an increase of 2 per cent, on the preceding year. For 1928-29 the estifui. -i ably exceed 418 million pounds. Nearly & per cent, of the clearances were of EKSt O^" 1 ' . c ? m ? ar .ed with 82 and 84 years! tespectlvef y ™ the two previous 3421 PEOPLE CONVICTED OF SMUGGLING Smuggling i 9 still prevalent, according to. the report. During the year 8201 0f U the S e°4s4r, ggled K ? ods ™* «2! and spidts 4? WOre 6el ™ of tobncc ° The number of persons convicted nf smuggling was 3421 and the total amount of the penalties recovered was f 17? SS Everybody's Monthly. *iMSb.— Cuba Haiti, Cayenne, Brazil, Valparaiso, Capetown, the Azores, St. Helena, and Mauritius, the Loyalty. Islands, and Australia. Apparently the line of trade was followed. The suails, or their cgggt ln most cases, were accidentally enclosed with plants or mould, or adhered to packing cases or to hay and grass seed used in packing. The chief natural barriers to the dispersal of land snails arc the sea, mountain ranges, and deserts. The greatest of these ai'o deserts. Their scorching heat, with the absence of water and of vegetable life, it has been found-checks the dispersal-of laud snails as nothing else can. Rivers, floods, birds, beetles, and frogs help to spread laud snails from oik district to another. The case with which land snails are accidentally spread by man is regarded as favouring the probability of dispersal taking place apart from human agency. Behind all this is the tenacity of life of these lowly, almost defenceless creatures, a tenacity that defies extremes of climate and' hardships.