THE PROHIBITION CAMPIAGN.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15043, 10 April 1919, Page 5

THE PROHIBITION CAMPIAGN.

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AJ)D^^By|^^ t v BURRIDGE; : ; ■■;:: ■::; ■■?

> vThe * final meeting in connection> with the Prohibition campaign took" place at the,;Theatreßoyal last evening, when (Chaplain Burridge addressed a crowded and orderly meeting. The Mayor (Mr W. W. Snodgrass) presided. . The chairman, in introducing the speaker, said that Chaplain Burridge left New Zealand with the" Sixth. Reinforcements, and was on the Marquette, afterwards going to Salonika and |-France. A man with such a record, he Isaid, was entitled to a good hearing, and to their great respect. (Applause?) Chaplain Burridge, who was cordially received, said he felt a heavy responsii bility in speaking to a Nelson audience | |on the night before the poll to be taken on such a momentous" question. He mentioned that he was never at Gallipoli and Avas not responsible for the word "hero" which appeared in the advertisement. He was speaking merely as a : chaplain who had to do his bif. Having returned to New Zealand after three years of war he found the people engaged in fighting what; he believed was a greater foe to humanity than the dread war—the liquor traffic. He believed it was directly responsible for more misery and loss of life than either the epidemic or the war. (Applause.) The best method to deal with the liquor traffic was by abolishing it altogether. Referring to the soldiers' vote ? he said there was hot a meeting at which he had not stated that in his opinion the Government should have got themselves out of a hole by seeing that full justice \vas done to all soldiers in this matter. During three years of service in Egypt and France, and during one year in England, he had seen the best men go down through liquor. lib. Egypt seven out uf ten men went down morally through drink and drink alone. In Sir James £ ,letters (Applause) there was much that was well worth pondering ;over. He had seen the slum areas in bhe great cities of the Old Country, and he was sure they did not want the conditions in this fair country. He would not say they were all due to drink, but much ofthe poverty there was due to drink. He had no hesitation in saying that the Trade prevented Lloyd George doing what he would like to have done to curtail or prohibit liquor during the W{fV ■, ,c, s Peaker read from posters exhibited by the French Government urging those who loved their country to banish liquor. He felt therefore that he was fighting in a good cause. There would be peace this year, and' he thought this great social reform would follow closely on its heels. The <rreat licensing reforms, such as 6 o'clock £° Sl-JV g '-,had H en br°ught about, not by the Moderate League, but oy the work of temperance reformers. It was only when _the Trade was threatened that the Moderates spoke of reform. He took off his hat to those who had laboured for years past for temperance reform and he believed that they were S°S % re? P she? re ward. The tactics or the Irade during the past few days SlT ed ?? their backs were fo the v 2 U an * i e jwa? °Ptimistic about the During the past five weeks In moving up and down the country he had found scores and hundreds of fine level-Headed —and whiter-men on the side of this movement- - The Efficiency Board's report that Prohibition would be good for JNew Zealand on economic grounds had never been disputed. Prohibition could no longer be called a "wowser" movement. From America they had an example they might well follow-as that country of one hundred million people Wai-tme prohibition would become operative, m July of this year As to w«hA Cha Plain Burridge said that it was not now classed as a food, but as a poison-a narcotic,, not a stimulant-a waste of efficiency. He agreed that this rtJ''lß6^^ they woSd haye,had a higher state of efficiency without liquor. To paY the £4 cvm nm to wipe ft the liquoXaffic^ould'SS c^ c Mf-' c-S V ta™*™- The ActingPrime- Minister stated that he had no anx le ty at all about the revenue. He (the + speaker> was glad the liquor trade was to.haye fair compensation, because otherwise the Trade would have'four and m order. He regarded compensation as a big lever against a reversal of Prohibition Compensation would be a good investment .for New Zealand..' The peope were urged to wait till November, but that was the cry of the other side i?ri egf T\ *° l he • tiu'ee-issue ballot.papei^to be submitted in November If Inhibition was not carried, if it was by preferential voting.it would be fair but as it was it was not {air, and h« urged them not to be misled. He was opposed to State Control, because he believed there Were elements about the tiaflio that made it impossible for the State to take it up. He would sooner Bee the continuance of the present system. He believed hundreds of thousands of men would find that drinking was a mere habit which they would soon be able to get out of. He believed the people would he sports enough to obey the law and give it a fair run if ProhibiZ n T a +*Carris-- <APPla«se.) Refer«SS v J e rSoldi erA abroad > the speaker said he believed the majority, of them would voteior continuance because theyhad lived in a country where light beers S? X ne + S wf r-e ■?■*£- There *as :«Kfoi£ ing else to drink—there was no tea and the wells were poisoned. Personally he did not oppose the. nun- ration (Applause.) but the conditions in Flanders were not the conditions in New Zealand It was not true that the Prohibitionists as a party were against the rum ration As to repatriation," he agreed that the co,uni ry must do full justice to the men who had fought and risked their lives for it. rhe country could afford to do this and also_tq carry out this great reform! It would pay the country handsomely; As to the question of infringement of liberty, the history of reform was one ong record; of curtailment of jpersonal liberty m the interests of society. The speaker^ referred to a Russian leaflet, and said it could not be better described than in the words of the "Dominion" that it was one of the foulest pieces of electioneering in New. Zealand.'WApplause) Prohibition, he added, was in the interests of labour, not against it In conclusion Chaplain Burridge said :t was his firm conviction that Prohibition would mean more revenue, more prosperity, and more efficiency. Chaplain Burridge resumed his sea t amidst prolonged applause. He then invited questions. v but none were forthcoming, an da vote of thanks for the convincing address was proposed 'by the 5f V oE- D r Patch^, and seconded byl the Key. J. Laird and carried by acclamation. :

, Chaplain Burndge replied by thanking those opposed to him k,- the atten tiv^ hearing they had given him. ' A vote of thanlcs to the chairman concluded the meeting.