A “DRY” DISCUSSION

Southland Times, Issue 22732, 7 November 1935, Page 7

A “DRY” DISCUSSION

AND A FEW HOME TRUTHS. Mr A: Do I believe in prohibition? Certainly not. Mr B: Why? Mr A: Because it doesn’t work, and, if it did, it is neither necessary nor advisable. Mr B: I know there is less room for complaint these days, but how about drinking at dances? Mr A: Don’t make a fountain out of a molehill. There is less drinking at dances to-day than ever before; but I am glad you mentioned that because in my opinion it is only because drinking is prohibited at dances that a certain element indulges in it. Every other night in the week these people are free to have liquor in their homes, or in their friends’ homes, if they want it, but they choose a prohibited occasion because it is prohibited. If you prohibit these people seven nights in the week you are doing them a bad turn instead of a good turn. Mr B: I believe you are right. I can remember a country dance where a local celebrity openly presided at an improvised bar, and where proceedings were ideally conducted from first to last.

Mr A: If you want any more reasons, I can give you four hundred and thirtyeight thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight of them. They are the votes of New Zealanders who refused to have prohibition at the last referendum, and there is going to be a lot more this time. As New Zealand will definitely not have prohibition, and as no country in the world wants it, why waste time talking about it?—Advt.