NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13546, 25 November 1914, Page 7

NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

ADDRESS BY MRS LEE-COWIE. A crowded congregation assembled at the Scottish Hall last night to hear an address by t/he popular temperance lecturess, Mrs Harrison Lee-Cowie, on the subject of "National Prohibition." The Rev. F. W. Chatterton, president of the Gisborne No-license League," presided. In introducing the lecturess, he said they were glad to welcome Mrs LeeCowie amongst them again. He said a new interest had been aroused m the subject by the great war. Nobody knew how much the prohibition question had lately been m the minds of some of the great statesmen. He referred to what had been done m Russia. It was fourteen years ago when State control was introduced into Russia, and the Minister of Finance, who introduced the Bill, deplored the results, and sought means by which the evil could be overcome. When war came they saw the opportunity, and total prohibition had been Eroclaimed m Russia, and many of the sading European newspapers were commenting on the step. Russia was prepared to sacrifice £90,000,000 a year, the revenue derived from the liquor traffic, because they realised it was m the best interests of the country and the efficiency of the army. Mr Chatterton referred to the vested interests -end monopoly of the liquor traffic, and he urged the people to do their duty at the ballot-box. There were two things that the prohibition movement stood for, efficiency and economy. They wanted to realise that,' for on those two grounds l/hev should strike out the top line. Mrs Lee-Cowie was accorded a hearty reception. She said she had been with them on each occasion for 15 years when the local option poll was taken, and she felt she was a part of Gisborne. She had been gathering up all objections she could find against national and local prohibition. She referred to the inactivity of some good people who were careless of their vote ahd regardless of the tremendous responsibility that rested upon them. If they could persuade these people to go to poll they would win the day. "If only the mothers would go to the ballot-box they would save the nation." Some good people said they belonged to another country and took no part m politics. By relating a personal conversation she had had with one of these people, Mrs Lee-Cowie showed that perhaps it was through these people not voting that they did not carry the day. "What about Invercargill?" she had been asked ; "see how much liquor goes there." She had noticed that 300 cases of beer went from Gisborne to Invercargill, and pointed out taat none of that liquor was con : sumed at Invercargill, but went -to the licensed areas surrounding that city. If that beer had gone to any individual at Invercargill then the brewer should be prosecuted for aiding sly grog-selling. How did no-license work out at Invercargill? ' She had lived there for sb. years, and having also liyed m licensed areas she saw the difference. "The first thing that struck her was the wonderful absence of poverty. The speaker graphically contrasted the condition of things that obtained m the Old Country, and said from Invercargill, where there were now no poor to be clothed, they had sent- 20 cases of old clothes to the poor women of the East End of London. The next thing that struck her was the decrease of crime. She. *had been visiting Srisons for 26 years, and knew the conitions. Four times the judge of the Supreme Court was presented with a pair of white gloves,- as an evidence that there was no criminal cases. At Clutha, where they had had prohibition the- longest^;, it was eight years since one of the residents of that town had been arrested for drunkenness. Mrs LeeCowie related 'humorous incidents m connection with "poor business" for the | policemen and^ grave-diggers. At Tolaga I Bay a man^hia'd expressed surprise when |he learned that the wives very often had to pay the fine for their husbands, i The^ speaker referred to what was going on m the cities where the liquor bar was .open, and related incidents of young men and women being degraded and disgraced through falling victims to the drink. Waen she, saw the reduction of crime at Invercargill and Clutha she could come to them with confidence and tell them to strike out the top line on the local option and national prohibition ballot .papers. Referring to the revenue question, the , speaker asked what would it profit a country if it gained a million of revenue at the expense of the wreck and ruin of the people. It could be easily answered, 'What was to be done for revenue? She thought the Czar of Russia had answered the question for everyone. Speaking of the reason why they were working for" prohibition while the war was on, Mrs Lee-Cowie said they had not intended to work .until they found there was going to be an election. In connection with the voting by the Expeditionary Force, she was afraid they •Jiad been too slow, and produced a card as evidence of how many young men had been misled m the way they voted. When they had been asked not to work this year, she had replied they were willing to meet the other side half-way. If the publicans , promised not to sell liquor -until the war was over they would stop working. (Laughter.) This was not agreed to, and the trade suddenly stopped asking them not to work. "I have come to the conclusion," added the speaker, "that there is going to be a solid, steady, and splendid vote for national prohibition all over New Zealand. But lam afraid some people are going to lose their local option vote. -Do not do that. ' Remember 'one vote will not .minimise the value of the other. Take full value of each vote and strike out the top line on each paper. I believe if the people had done that at last election 31 additional districts would •have gone dry." She pointed out that if national prohibition were carried it would be four years before the bars would be closed, out if local option was carried the bars wouh} be closed next June. Then those who now thought the drink was their all m? all— their god of worship — would begin to find what the sweet bread of life was. It was not for this life they were working, or this Dominion; they were working for that great day when the Master shall come to award those who were trying to bring m a new heaven and hew earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. (Loud applause.) The tableau "Zealandia's Message to the Nations" was then repeated. The demonstration was prefaced by an appropriate recitation given by Miss Sievwright. The tableau provided an interesting entertainment. "Various nations of the world were represented m costume, and each representative had something to say on behalf of the cause of prohibition. The demonstration concluded with representatives of tho various no-license districts m New Zealand coming forward nnd proclaiming the benefits of prohibit ion.