THE PROHIBITION LEADER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 192, 24 August 1900, Page 4

THE PROHIBITION LEADER.

SAYS HIS DEPARTURE IS NOT A < RETREAT. 1 I (Truth.) " I am going to England in pursuance of a promise to ihe United Kingdom , Alliance that I would return, if possible, , to fulfil a two years' engagement to lecture through England, Scotland and 1 Ireland, but 1 intend to return to New I Zealand in time to take part in the ' next licensing campaign." Such was the Rev. L. M. Isitt's reply to the question of the representative of Truth as to whether his departure for England was to be looked • upon in the light of a retreat or a re- ' tirement. After every licensing election, Mr, ' Isitt continued, there is a time of reaction, when public meetings are at a • discount. So far as organising in- < fluence are concerned, the prohibition ' 'party is stronger than it ever was. < " So that I don't think I shall be very \ much missed until the hour comes for i staking another effective blow." | Matters are not so gloomy in con- ; nection with the prohibition cause as < many imagine, in Mr. Isitt's opinion. He did not believe that even Mr, < Seddon would dare open the King Country to the " Liquor Ring." Such i an action would not only create intense indignation in the colony, but would ■ draw very warm protestsfrom a large , section of people in the Old Country. , He bad been surprised when at Home 1 to find what keen interest the Rara- i tonga business awakened. There exists ; in England a deep and widespread [ -feeling that as a great nation we have k shamefully degraded the native races we have come in contact with by drink. Mr. Isitt then expressed some , opinions about the Premier. "Through evil and good report I have always maintained that the temperance party has no more implacable opponent than the Right Hon. Richard John Seddon, and his recent utterances have evidenced that I was not so far wrong. But whatever Mr. Seddon's secret sympathy with the Liquor Ring may be, my hope is that he is too much of a politician lo risk the security of his position by steps so ! retnendously retrograde as the withdrawal from the people of the i ight of determining the issue of licenses, and I am pretty confident that with all the talk, there will be no serious alteration of the licensing laws or of the period between the dates on which the licensing polls are taken." Mr. Isitt was constrained to admit that the drinking habit has been largely on the increase in the colony, especially amongst the young men in athletic circles circles, during the past four or five years. This, he thought, was possibly due to the fact that in thei endeavour of the Temperance party to secure needed legislation, they 'have not pushed moral suasion as vigorously as aforetime. There is, however, to be a big revival in this woik during the next two years, and every effort is to be made to spread the movement on the o'd pledge lines. Judging frcm the present position of temperancs affairs in England, Mr. Isitt thinks he will have a difficult task before him. The Royal Commission in Licensing and Lord Peel's minority report has split the temperance camp some supporting Lord Peel's proposals, running largely on reduction lines—whilst a vigorous minority refuses to make any compromise, and demands local option, and local option alone. The cavalier treatment of the Bill for the prevention of selling liquor to children, by Lord Salisbury and Mr. Balfour,, has, according to Mr. Isitt, produced universal indignation amongst Liberals and Conservatives, and will lead to a strong reaction in favour of the temperance party. " I calculate by the time I get Home," added Mr. Isitt, " this will have very considerably hardened up public opinion in favour of some measure of temperance reform," It is not Mr. Isitt's intention to restrict himself to temperance lectures only in England; he will do the work of an honorary immigration agent by lecturing regularly upon New Zealand, and doing his utmost to push its comI mercial interests. | Mr- Isitt left by the Talune last ' | week for Sydney, where he join the | Omrah, and proceeds to England via Suez. His departure has been hurried by the receipt of a cable message informing him that he must be in England by September 25th instead of October Bth.