The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Luceo Non Uro. SATURDAY, MARCH 29.

Southland Times, Issue 3361, 29 March 1879, Page 2

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Luceo Non Uro. SATURDAY, MARCH 29.

The Honorable Mr Fox has come and gone, and it is certain that during his stay he exerted himself not a little to instruct and'entertain the people of'lnvercargill. That he was successful in his efforts is also 'certain, and it'is: ,only to be regretted that a larger number of our, . intelligent citizens did ' not^ avaiPthem'selves of the opportunity of listening to one. who has so distinguished a place among both the orators and statesmen of New Zealand. To say that the /honorable gentleman" spoke at all, is to say that he spoke on temperance, although he by no means confined himself to that theme, and whatever opinion may be held on the subject, all who heard him will acknowledge the" singular force of his eloquence. The honors of .an apostle belong' to him for the zealous and self-denying efforts he has made in the cause to which he devotes himself, and all good men' will wish him the success of an apostle. We are desirous of meeting Mr Fox on the ground that is common to him and to all who, differing 1 as they may as to expedients'," see clearly, and feel keenly^ the destructive - work that drink is doing. . "It is hot too much to say that jt is sapping the foundations of prosperity in this -young state,, or rather 'that it is hindering those foundations '■' from ever being, fairly laid. The people i of New Zealand are spending directly on intoxicating liquors two millions sterling a-year, and are probably incurring a loss at least equal in amount , by, the indirect consequence' of that expenditure. These are simple facts that must be looked in the face, whether men are advocates of total abstinence or not. - If sobriety and economy are virtues, without which no commonwealth can flourish, it must be discouraging to reflect how far -New, Zealand , is from being economical and sober. We •do not purpose to discuss at present what remedy would be effectual. We. desire only to invite attention to the fact that the body politic is suffering from two deadly evils, 1 and that some remedy is indispensable. , Let it be granted that Mr Fox, in his I theory of cure, is extreme and imI practicable. Does this bring the quesI tion any nearer settlement, and are' we entitled to fold our hands on the strength ' of the -discovery ? , It has been proved beyond controversy that public-houses have been multiplied past all reasonable 1 necessities of the population,., allowing what some deny, that necessity does exist 1 for this particular method of furnishing 1 drink to the community. It has been proved 'further that as you /multiply public houses, you increase, in, , direct proportion, the number .of drunkards. Show. us,> we may reasonably* demand, some better method than Mr Fox's for remedying thisgreatest of all the sources of intemperance. Because Mr Fox's expedient is the wrong one, is no"' other f expedient to be devised ? It is a fair challenge to all opponents of the Permissive Bill tosuggest a more excellent way, and if they fail to meet ihe challenge, ' it will become' a' "'question' for "thoughtful men whetherthe evils of a Permissive Bjll be worse than the evil of a large proportion of people becoming, through \drm_*v' hopelessly impoverished and degraded.' Will any man say that things ought to remain as they are ? There is need for some reform, and such need existing, -is there no scheme that would meet it* by bringing the intelligence and morality, of the people into immediate and united action 1 We press t-ie question earnestly,

for ; it ,will need speedy solution. All over the world, the cry is for deliverance from the moral and "financial ruin that drink is working. New Zealand*niust either find a cure for herself, or- borrow one when, it is discovered elsewhere. Let us have Mr Fox's- zeal, united with wisdom, if" he is not wise, or let us acknowledge 'that our indi£fei*en / ce is open to at least as heavy a charge as his extravagance'. - "We haye spoken of public houses only, but no one "can be blind to the mischief

that another fountain of drink-supply is creating. Much may be said in favor of tlie bottle license, if a community is to drink at all. - But, as a matter of fact, it is a privilege which*, both here and at home, is .abused to ,the destruction of many a householdr The process is perfectly we!l known by which, through means of the bottle license, drink is introduced into families that never appears as drink in the family pass-book. The system may be convenient, but it has proved thoroughly demoralising, and may call one of these days for a complete divorce between the trades of the grocer and the spirit-dealer. If any measure of legislation, if auy concentration and pressure of public opinion, would avail to stay the -ruin that drink is bringing on tho colony, it is time that action should be taken by the representatives of the people, and by the people themselves.'