THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 63

THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

DEMONSTRATION BY STUDENTS. The mass meeting for men held in the Garrison Hall on Sunday was very numerously attended, and was not entirely confined to the sterner Sex, several. ladies being present. The gathering was in connection with the temperance movement, and was organised by the United Temperance Reform Council, tho speakers being University students past and present. Mr H. Pettit, medical student, occupied tho chair, and in the ©ouree of his opening remarks said they were there to protest against the liquor traffic, which had had its day. It must go. They were not there to represent any institution or branch of the students of the University. They felt that the great temperance movement was one of vital importance to young men, — (applause),—and that was why they stood before those present that evening. They felt that if they could get the young men interested in the campaign victory was assured. —(Applause.) The medical profession did not consider that alcohol was a necessity, and he proceeded to quote opinions. Mr L. Hunt said his desire was to place before them the true perspective of the temperance reform, so that they might see it in its real light. The reform would not be carried out by mass meetings or resolution, but by each man and each woman doing his and her bast in the great fight. A significant fact of the soundness of -the cause was the number and quality of the men who wore coming over to their side. They were charged with fanaticism, nar-row-mindedness, and with appealing to the emotions. Their movement had progressed, and did not now embrace the fanatic and the emotionalist, but the politician, the man of business, and the man of sound common sense. The scientific man was new supporting their movement. There had been three stages in the movement, and the first stage had been a blind acquiescence in things as they were. It was said, "This evil is inevitable." That stage gave way to another stage, and that was the stage of investigation, and men applied the great principles of causa and effect. The other stage was that it was realised that the disease was so great that it became necessary to search about and see if some remedy could not be found for it, and men weie now coming to see that absolute prohibition was the only remedy chat would deal with the curse. One of the great evils of the liquor traffic was thar money spent in drink was worse than wasted, and it was almost entirely unproductive. He expressed the opinion that drinking among the men of Great Britain and Ireland was one of the greatest causes of the unrest there, and _ said that the working .man was now coming to see that the public-house was his worst enemy. Mr J. Ross said that any man who had at heart the improvement of the conditions of his fellows could not fail to recognise the evil arising from the use and abu.se of alcoholic liquor. The problem was how was the- use and abuse to be dealt with, and they said that the most feasible remedy was prohibition. Some thought it far too radical, and if there were some more gradual process he might support it, but that seemed to him impossible. The only manly thing for them to do was to recognise that the drink traffic was so liable to abuse and did so little good and so much harm that they were far better without it altogether. Mr H. Gilbert said he regarded prohibition as the one and only solution,, of dealing with the drink traffic. They must absolutely prohibit if they were going to do away with the drink. The world at the present day had no time for the man who would not work; it had grown tired of tW drone who would not exert himself. The working man could take his wages and say: " There is my day's work for them," and that waa a fair thing. But when the publican closed his door for the night and counted his cash, and they asked him what he had done in return for the wealth he had accumulated he did not answer. Why? They knew why, and so did he (the speaker). Our s-tic-et corners and our last dare showed us s.cim-s of the results of the trade. Drink was an ujsy obstacle right across our path, and it hindered advancement, and was a thief. Mr H. D. Bedford said that meeting

r'iade him think that, if it was representative of the men of the city, then the liquor traffic was doomed. Ho believed an army of men like there- was present that evening was enough to inspire the liquor traffic with awe, and it augured much for the success of their campaign. The meeting had been organised for the young men to protest against a continuance of the liquor traffic. Every year there were something like 7000 young men convicted for the first offence of drunkenness, and if the traffic continued for another three years that meant over 20,000 young men being so convicted. They wanted that meeting to pledge itself to vote no-lioenee. They wanted the men to stand up and protest against the continuance of the traffic for another three years. In response to the request everybody in the hall, as far as could be seen, stood up, a fact that was greeted with loud applause. The meeting concluded with the singing of the doxolcgy.