THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN

Southland Times, Issue 16786, 15 July 1911, Page 6

THE NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN

ITEMS 07 INTEREST. (By “Argus.”) A PRESBYTERIAN MANIFESTO. The following manifesto was approved and ordered to be printed at a recent meeting of the Southland Presbytery:— In view of the approaching No-Lic-ense poll the Presbytery of Southland desires to re-affirm its attitude of uncompromising hostility to the liquor traffic,' presses upon the attention of the members and adherents of the church the continued disastrous effects of that traffic,, urges them to make full use of the power granted the electors by last session of Parliament by exercising their privilege of voting local No-License and Dominion prohibition. The Presbytery holds that the traffic in strong drink stands as a menace to the highest welfare of the people—to individual life, to family life, and to the life of the nation. Notwithstanding plausible promikes of liquor dealers that the trade would be placed on its good behaviour, and that the law would be observed, it is only ton apparent from official returns that the dire evils which flow from this sad business are in no wise diminished. It maintains that the real strength of the nation depends on the integrity and moral character of its people: and the Presbytery is convinced that there is no greater foe to the attainment of these than the drinking customs of the age.. Wherever the legalised sale of alcoholic beverage obtains common observation makes it abundantly plain that the evil fruits of drunkenness follow' and human wreckage is stretvn on every shore. History bears witness that the traffic in intoxicating drink undermines the foundation of individual, family, and social life, with the same deplorable results now', as in the past. At strikes at the innocent; for vast numbers of those w'ho never touch drink suffer the crushing weight of its miseries. as in the case of w'ives. children and relations. As a great judge has said: "It is the mother of want and the nurse of crime.” A more powerful, yet melancholy appeal could hardly be made for the sake of our fellow' citizens than to mention the tremendous fact that 5000 young people have their names placed on the jmlice records each year as first offenders —over 92 a w’eek, 13 a day, as fresh victims to strong drink. The latest police reports disclose the fact that drunkenness has not decreased in license electorates.

Careful inquiries in No-License areas have revealed to us, from time to time, the benefit of the reform movement. They tell us of a reduced consumption of liquor. The Prime Minister laid on the table of the House on October 7th, 1910, a return which shows that, while the average consumption of liquor in license districts is 12 gallons per head, the average in No-License districts is only two gallons per head, or one-sixth. The “Otago Times” comment on this significant fact in its leading article of March 17th, 1911, is, “that the State paper makes it clear that the consumption per head in those districts is only a fraction of the average consumption of the whole dominion.” These reports tell of a welcome absence of crime, of Improved social order in No-License towns, of increased sobriety and comfort in many homes, and of the higher moral tone of the community. Testimony is borne to the undoubted success of No-License in Invercargill, and to the many benefits experienced by the town materially, socially and morally. And it is all the more to the credit of the now reform that it has been able to do so much under the most adverse conditions. Beer depots from the first having been established on the borders of the electorate have greatly interfered with the working of No-License, and have in no small degree lessened its value. But, even in spite of this unjust handicap, citizens of every class have borne unquestioned testimony to the benefits of this reform. All that it needs is a fair field and no favour. The Presbytery takes this opportunity of expressing its gratitude to God for the rapid growth of public sentiment in favour of No-License as declared by the poll of 1908; also, for the increase of power vested in the electors by last session of Parliament; and now it earnestly urges upon its fellow citizens to exercise their full privilege of voting local No-License and dominion prohibition By Striking out the Top tine in tooth Voting Papers. THE BISHOP OF LONDON ON SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT. (Testimony from another Church.) Speaking at a meeting recently, the Bishop of London said: “What is the drink bill of England? One hundred and sixty-one millions a year. What is the good of talking about social reforms and so on? It is no good at all unless we reduce this national curse, which is eating up all our resources, I do not care how much wages arc raised; if we are going to drink away 161 millions a year men will be poor all their lives. I have been into a home in the East End which I would not exchange for any one in the world. That was the home of a teetotaler. Next door there was the home of a drunkard. One was heaven, and the other was hell, and they were made by the man himself.”