"HOW NEW ZEALAND DEALS WITH DRINK."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11249, 13 April 1908, Page 6

" HOW NEW ZEALAND DEALS WITH DRINK."

ART.TCL]? BY SIR ROBERT STOUT. LONDON, Fob. 28. The Chief Justice of New Zealand. Sir Robert Stout, contributes to the Chronicle an article entitled "How New Zealand Deals with Drink." It is published to-day. In the course of his remarks, which extend to considerably over a column m length, Siv Robert says: — •'New Zealand, jt is said, is. trying bo -solve nuujy {social problems. There is none more pressing than that of the regulation of the use of alcoiiol. Even if we leave out of consideration the economic waste involved m the consumption of alcohol, the fact that taking alcoholic stimulants lessens the efficiency of j

men and women, is sullicient to force social reformers to consider the question. The economic waste is, however, great. In this Dominion, with less than a million people, and of mainly temperate people, the estimate is that nearly £3,000,000 is spent on beer, wines, and spirits. The cost- of these intoxicants, it should be remembered, is much higher than m England." After going at considerable length into the legislation on the matter. Sit Robert Stout proceeds : "It is too soon, however, to gauge the results ou the people at large. In only one district (Clutha) has there been "no-license uu any period of time. It is a. farming district, and it may be that no-huMise. while succeeding m a farming district, will not be successful m a large town. In Ashburton and Mataura, also farming districts, no-license has been m force for only about three years. "This may be said: That the .perpetual discusfion of the alcoholic question i» an education iiu itself, and. it makes for temperance. Oar refreshment cars on our railways supply no alcoholic liquors. Drunkenness such as, colonial visitors say exists m; the large cities of England, Scotland, and Ireland is unknown. . Women do not visit bars for the purpose of drinking, and intemperance among them is very uncommon.' \ • • ;

"Perhaps the most notable feature m the .temperance agitation," he goes^on to say, "is the- part taken, by the -churches in* * the "demand /for no-license. , * Forty yeara ago they took no part, and few clergymen were then seen on temperance platforms, or at temperance meetings. The Presbyterian, Methodtist . (both. Wesleyan and Primitive), Baptist, arid Congregational Churches, are now all strong temperance ' organisations. In some ot the diooeses of the Anglican Church tliere Vis also a strong temperance feeling m the churches, notably an the dioceses of Waiapu and Canterbury. The Roman Catholic ChHirch has taken no part m the reform, though a few priests have aided' the no-license pai'ty." . In conclusion, Sir Robert Stout writes: "The features of temperance agitation m the Dominion are not different from those of any other struggle for social reform. There are arrayed on one side philanthropic men and* women, deeply imbued with the thought of the injury their brethren .and -.sisters receive from intemperance. On -the other side there are men who are afraid of the inroads that recent legislation has made on personal liberty, and with them are the men whose personal interests are bound up with the liquor trade. Much lias been accomplished, but much , more vemairis to be done before owr people will be willing to live a. simple life, 1 and think not of the 1 present :plea,sure,' but of race efficiency. The fact, however that there is a. struggle for temperance is itself no unimportant matter, and the race will be all the better for it."

The publication of this article to-day-is well-timed, as all the papers to-day tire "letting themselves go" with reference to the new Licensing Bill, which lias just made its appearance. Its proposals have paralysed stocks m brewing and kindred companies.— Wellington Post.