LIQUOR AND DISEASE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14050, 21 July 1916, Page 1

LIQUOR AND DISEASE.

WAR. REGULATIONS DISCUSSED. REFERENDUM UEQUEST. " 'SUGGESTION. OF COMPROMISE. Our Parliamentary Reporter.) *-«^^' * ' WELLIKCTON, this day. The ■ second reading, debate,* on. the War Regulations Bill wag rreuirted- yesterday, when further ai-gmnehtV on/the subjects of liquor ' coiisump"tion/ana the venereal scourge were advanced by members, a number. of whom linked the two subjects, contending that the- brothel and disease were corollaries to excessive drinking. Mr, ' Anderson (Mataura) protested against the attempt to convey the impression that tlie' r'efcH'hi was headed on soldiers' account. v He 'wished to absolutely refute the libel that people m prohibition' 'areas res&rted to private -drink-' ing. v ! " If 'early t-loshig was' no>t adopted, the. House should grant a referendum on hqurslfrom 8 {tni/to Bxp.m.8 x p.m. Mr Wilkih'sbh stated that the question appeare^^to'him as 'an economic bfte. A great monopoly was given to one class fior/£42;000 per annum. Lie. rise fees ought", to' be incr-fea&ed^ payable on a graduated scalo. " A man .had to' consume a huhdi*£d thlfes. more bfee.r-.flian tobacco to contribute the sbme amount of revenue., : Eight to eight closing would suit th<>. -majority... of. the -House.' An amendment to this effect would be moved m; .committee. If defeated, an attempt ' would be/^tuade to move for a referendum oh the subject; which was certain to be carried by the country. -.•■■■" Mr -Wilfqrd; If ow can you move an '. ftppropt^tipTi •clause? • • --„': '< Mr Wilkinson : Wo can direct the ' Govern'm^h't: t o bring 'm a clause. •.''■ | Mr- Sta'thaiiv to-nk- exception to a pr.o- - liibitioh^/wfti'iess before the • Petition's ( ComniitteiV l^rcrring^to' some soldiers as * sodden, lumps of flesh.- yM&mbers urging J early ••l.osinjr ignored the fact that it was 5 not they, who mad a •the^saci'ificeii.but ( someone else. In, iTi's-opihibnV the best * way to restrict tlv use of liquor was, to i attack* it at it'-s source by putting on a f restrictive tax. It* would mean that i the.qiublic w mid hay." to pay more, and •* tlie'cbriMiinption Would decrease' prop'qrv 1 tionately. Six, o'/oclc closing without < compensation would m<?an gross injustice- * to. .'hoielkeepers; while brewers'^and i wholesw.io'^>e'»>p!e w-rfuld not suffer .-at all, '- ratlier- the -'reye-rso.- v.- /-' \ . '■'■''■■ 1 ; KyiLS.' ■'.'•" ' ' , J "Mi- Ihit'tydrow 'aVtentlbn to the close' relation bet \v!*mi excessive, drinking and. c venereal disease. Colonel Potter him- 1 self hn I admitted that he said that, when -j j men ' g\s't : ihrjc^'.'or four - drinks and ', lost } self -control ., they were prone to "go ajpng to womVn:. from whb'm they cbhtracteq * disease.'; '•'The cViloii el admitted that: men .1 m their' sober Senses did ridt'go to i thlese ■ I brothels./ /'''l contend then," .said '/Mr' c IsiJt.t./'jhot uieii'TNOuld not : go dlohg to I brothels' ftnd shops to get |iquot * if 'hotels, were closed early, but that .1 after losing control by drinking \\r hotels/ , l they ff.v/to ' .bW'theis "and consume more - .Kqnor/;tbsr.r«. ••■ -I protest," y ho added, * "against the amount of evil going oh and t the ly.Cusal of ' members of this House to \ yield to the • dettiailVt of a huge minority i of'the petiple' of this Dominibn'id adopt i safeguards'.'"'- The member went ont o y say ibh'iJt :a captain iii a* camp told him -i that the efficiency Sof tlie me'h m training C was^'edttced by 10 per cent, at least .- through liquor .> lie Svas. very mufcli / f amused at frhfr- desperate effprts made to' f raise the sold it-r question. "'' This Was a v red-herring drawn 'across the trail' by- 1' the-' 'liquor . iute»*st. Tlie demand f<Vr c early-' -citing: v.as to 'conserve our efc6h- 1 omic- resources m. ■ 'the ! great Empire I struggle; , Tcirib ..■ sacrifices \\ere asked r of young nveti' and Of their parking 'for I the' Em pile's s.ike: We "had a ri^bt : t'6 c demand' this snerifice". ' it tVtas said; we r had not lhe right {o. sacrifice the .finances' "j of the-. ; -trrtdo ti> the greater aiidy^der j interests tnj- th/ Ivmpire-— a. 'very strange v sort of patriotism. We were- always 'told 1; the ecO.ymrc aspect had to - be Considered J if wo Were yoing to win the war. Ought \ we not. t<) commence. on the, chief source c of waste, f"-.n- millions' on liquor And an a equal sur/i put .through the totalisator t annually? 'This would not cause a single c moments injury t., the nations effi- v ciency. H>c adm'.tted that eariier closing r of bars would cause- loss, 'but nobody T knew letter than the Attorney-General that- it w&# not equivalent to tearing up a scrap oi paprr. j MIXISTEH;S SPECIAL PLEADING. t "Xobody kiioAvs. better thAn the Attoi-- " t ney-Geheral 'that m his opening hs was "■ guilty of special pleading," cbntihiied Mr , Isitt." • "I've a great admiration for him.- J There's something of the bulldog about \ the way ."he sticks to h : s case, yi bene- | we fih-i'il some day see, hih. exalted to | the Reiich- i venture to say thit if ISlv J Justice llerdman m jiasse becomes Mr Jusil€£^W3fiiliii.' , Jn^esse, he'd Scarify the r lawyer who opins his case with anything • like' the statement^lie made that 6 o'clock ' closing ;'Syos equivalent to tearing up a | scra-p : of ' paper. ; /'VVhat was the contract under which liquor licenses Were grant- j cd?' Tt : 'Vsis» hot a monopoly, but a -per- • mit, and.' every dne who got such a. permit ' knew exactly" the conditions of Iii c' pe-r- | mit: As 'to' 'a- scrap 6i pa.per, ■ tras it tonj ' wheh'^-ij c'.hsing- hdtiv wits re<luced- from * 11 Id 10 o'c'l&k ? W hen tlie ' whole day ' was\a?xiuA\VJßy and 'Sahciay , 'tra.dirJg AtSs ] prohibited, it uas tt'eognised by liqiior 1 men that 'the permits wVti> 'graJit'ed^'stt^- I ject to" '"-coilditioris/ and 'the' Attorney-. General • kneW there . was . no Je^al HfUJtt \ for compi'iisUtioii' whatever. • lle/.(Mi ; . y IsittV u.dr.litte<l tiie'rfe would be hardship,' • but 'licj contended th^c was no 'le^.' or .; mora?ycliiim -i..'»r fcompNehsatioh. He would meet the hardship;'^ however.; by thxihg' brewer's -abll 'other men • likely to profit by'^fe'trietive/ hours'., arid ,;'use the money ' so .derived: 'for the benefit of retail licehj,;, 'ilite member ' cqheiudted by saying he vvas coiivinbed that, : iaiiart from the inembeVs- off' "the Cabinet, there was a definite majority among inenibers m tho IloiiSC,'' both iik< a: lefferehdutn .and the «-h(flftßnjui£-' , bf the hours. - - INSULT TO WOMBN 1 ." rfr^^ewinAh declared that .the small amotuit'.of venereal disease m .the camips was a^jcj^i'd^ compared) with other countries. 1 '. He objected to ihe Minister's methods of tackling, what' would be useful work. His speech teemed .with coercion.- A -\i-bmaii tempted was to be tr^tj^;.^^'' Crimirtal.'vifhile the tempter escaped., J " - ~i<\i- R'UjSSpr. : I said exactly , the oiq\io?ite?'';~*'^' .''v'y •" ;'./'* ifr^^fwman : This clause is an insult to Wbm£n: ' ■ There a.re 1400 police m New Zealahd? You gi^e them the right to* pounce" on driy woniah r going home at night 'jif : she' is with' a soldier. It's, the CD!' "Act 'oyer again, Tliacker -. Rot!) ; To lekve the admihistratioh of this part of 'the- Act m the hands a! men would' bo Avrbhg. If, drastic regulations were to bb' provided for . dealing with, venereal disease, then they should jappoint, \v.bifrieh dotetors, women police^ iand women- ds magistrates ti^ try women. The .Minister had an example m Canada, yet had lnude iv> attempt to make lis© of tlijti information available m connection ivith the use of women for-adminis-trative purposes m dealing with the social, problem. Speaking of the liquor traffic/. iii*. Newman 'expressed. a hope that the House would take, into consideration that over one hundred thousand signatures had been placed to tli-e petition for the shortening of hotel hours. He asked also why a me'rendum was not taken on the- subject? It was an axiom that ay« trusted the ps6\)\ii m everything. Then hereAvas an oppoi'tuuity t;/' trust the people. lie c intended that there was an. intense.' dcs'.re- m all classes of liie : community for the shortening of hours of hotel bars. "Mr Wjebb urged the State contro 1 of i.\\e liquoV traffic, but he was o}>posed to 0 o'clock closing, because it would not .iffect the brewer, but would strike, hard at licensees, many of whom were baraly making ends.- meet .now. He contended that even if hotels wero closed at 6,' young irien would go to other places tor drink, ofteii''to' , house's> of, ill.-^fame. "" Mr Wright considered that too niuch power -was given to the ilinistcr m re- v spect of disease, but he strongly favored restriction of the liquor trade. * Mr -McCombb Said he was surprised at the people's representatives denying people the right to vote on '-the licensing \ssue.

THE -M LN IST.EU IX REPLY . The debate ended with Mr Herd man's reply at 11.30. Th© Minister declared that interference with, hotels would, throw persons out of employment. Even prohibitionists admitted that there had been no undue drunkenness among soldiers. Their real object wast to -take advantage of the situation to get. the hotels closed. (Hear hear,....aud N0, ..n0.) ..None oi the police evidence, showed the necessity foi* early closing., The police, preferred to know whSre the men were. As for tlie economic' argument, why levy on hotels? To be logical, other businesses should be interfered with, but the House dare not do this.'/ It was impossible to make peiople sober by Act of Parliament. Any unnecessarily harsh law would always, be got Tound. ; Tho Bill was read a. second time without division, and the ftouse rose at 11.40.