TO DISCOURAGE DRINKING

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1929, Page 11

TO DISCOURAGE DRINKING

MOTION IN THE UPPER HOUSE'

HIE PUBLIC TRltol’EE’S POSITION. , ' i

SIR ROBERT STOUT’S MOTION LOST >

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, Last Night. Sir Robert Stout, in the Legislative Council to-day, moved: ‘"That in the opinion of the Council, considering the waste of food and means and the physical and moral injury to the people caused by the consumption of alcoholic liquors, steps should be taken by the Government to discourage such consumption and to pass such a law as will prevent the Public Trustee being a brewer or j vendor of such liquor.” ' t. Sir Robert argued that the deleterious effects of alcohol on the human system could not be denied, and that if the League of Nations had seen fit to prohibit the use of liquor amongst the natives in West Africa there was ah j equal necessity for steps to be taken 1 to save the lives of the people generally from the same evil.

The mo.tion was not intended as pun- ■ ishment for the . Public Trustee, but to ’ do him a service. He probably only consented to be a brewer because he thought ’ it liis duty to do something for the es ; ■ tates for which he was trustee. It was absurd that while the Education and ’ Health departments were circulating*, literature advocating temperance and. . pointing out the evils of drink the Pub-, ' lie Trust Department was publishing ad?? vertisements telling the people to drink beer and stout because it was health-3 giving. ■ . . a The Leader of the Council, the Hon. T. K. Sidey, said none of the liquor in? : terests controlled by the Public Trustee, belonged to the (State or the Public Trust Office. They beloiiged solely toindividuals for whom the Public Trustee ' was acting in the same capacity as any • other trustee. He was bound to do his best in the interests of the beneficiaries ■ for whom, he was acting. That was ‘ within the scope of the law which in ; New Zealand permitted both the brewing and vending of alcoholic liquors. Sir Robert' Stout’s object would not ' be attained by preventing the Public : Trustee from acting in that capacity iff* ■relation to such estates. The only thing . that would be achieved if the motion ■ were given effect to would be that all persons having controlling interests in liquor would , not appoint the Public i Trustee to administer their estates. It / would only be a means of debarring people from getting the benefit of the i Public Trust Office, and that would be unreasonable.

The Hon. W. Earnshaw also opposed the motion, which was defeated by 23 votes to six. .

The Council adjourned at 3.50 p.m. until next Wednesday.