THE LIQUOR QUESTION

Otago Witness, Issue 3400, 14 May 1919, Page 43

THE LIQUOR QUESTION

A SUGGESTION. In an editorial, tho Church News of May 1 says: " Oneo mere, in spite of Herculean efforts on the part of its advocates, tire cause of Erohibition has failed of a majority. Peraps it is better so, having regard to tho even balance of the two sides, for so stringent a rule imposed by the barest majority could hardly have been effective or secure. " And more, the situation calls for thought. Is this equally-contested duel for ' all or nothing,' "with its almost hysterical animosities, to be repeated again and again —and no practical step taken to improve 1 the admittedly wrong and degrading conditio a of the licensing laws? '' Surely it is time for Parliament to take up tho matter seriously, and set about a commonsense reformation. As wo are not Likely to try the colossal experiment of total prohibition for some years to come, is it not for reasonable people to try some lesser experiment that does not necessitate the scrapping of the whole concern? " Our present system is a scandal. The sale of drinks is arranged so that there is a premium on producing intemperance. Everything encourage the publican to sell and the thirsty to drink as much as possible o£ the most intoxicating stuff. " Half the frequenters of hotels and bars do not want to be intemperate, but everything is laid out to encourage them to be so.

" We have no cut-and-dried plan to offer in substitution; but we refuse to believe that none can be devised as an experiment. We would like to see all such places of refreshment run by the local authority, city council, or what not. This would be better than central State control, for there would bo scope for originality, and publio opinion would have more force. " There would be no premium on the sale of intoxicants, and the manager would have no interest therein. Those which aro more dangerous could be excluded altogether. Light wines and beer would be supplied instead of the heady and violent liquors that hold the field at present, and seem to be a special product of the British regime. In several parts of the world meeting places for refreshment and amusement indoor or out-of-door, can be provided without either prohibition or intemperance. Are not we capable of the same kind of rational liberty 7 We heartily wish that the many business men who can neither endorse the present system nor vote for prohibition would put their heads together and work out a practical scheme."