GERALDINE HOTELS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13652, 21 July 1908, Page 2

GERALDINE HOTELS.

To (lie Editor of the " Tirnaru Herald/' Sir. —1 regret, your cor'MKpoiident' "Viator" hits no,, seen hi* way to withdraw iii' apologise for his reckless and cowardly cuai'gui in a, former leU-er, or at least have the courage to sign his name as a, proof of good faith in making theni » Buttic evidently tilKlf it at! ea.siM- mami. to leline it i\r\v btritki of iiyipvobiibki labi*\s about a buJer and his master arid a bibulous prohibitionist, tli'., and winds up by a flight inlo 'mock heroin; about some ima<nnarv proceedings being repugnant to IJriUsli fair play, whilst somewhat inconsis.em.lv he has slabbed uns victim m die back, and shewn a marked preference for shooting another (literal y) opponent from h:s tale refuge behind ihe fence. I path over "Viator's" insinuations which ale in keeping with the reckless charges construed in his fiist le.u-r and justy menc 'the same contempt... It is uin-t leglettable t» See a person of good. edueation and appaien.ly of inoie than ordinary intelligence-, take up ihe qiiesi'iohabie position ui a publican's hack and acting as a delend'Sr of the woist K-aiui<-> of the drink traffic, more especially when its defence en.ails vl.e making of reckic s and ab.Mlrd charges against the officer entru.-t----ed with its lawtut administration anfs orderly control. As to the merits of the drink question or its total abolition, I and neither a bigot, nor a prohibitionist-. Buii tiom my knowledge ot Mime ol the u.,u,t feat ur.-'s and effects of the trade as I have seen it carried on in our own particular delict. I should not have the Uighte.-t- hesitation in voting for its absolute prohibition. I could relate innumerable instances where persons otherwise wood ci.i/.ei:s, good neighbours and resectable mi-n, have b.en reduced and kepi, continually ill ,a aiafe bordering on poverty and destitution through this one i egret "able failing. Others again have drugged and sent on their homeward track in a chronic elate ot helpless imbecility without as much as a thought or rare of their ul.imute fate. Unly last week a man passing through our Valley Wiit, found in a helpiess state of drugged intoxicai-ion by the roadside. Luckily tjome good -,Samaritan came along, ror.sed a neighbouring family and had him removed to a place of comfort and safety, a means whereby his life was probably saved. During a long course of years f have known a number of our mast useful j and respected residents, good citizens, good neighboure, thoroughly respected and respectable men who have come to a premature death by an isolated indulgence in this accursed stuff. Judging by a i paragraph in last week's "Herald" where a publican was fined £lO for supplying drink to a man who was found shortly afterwards dead from exposure; doubtkes other districts have a similar record. But the record of Geraldine district is not such as to make the average citizen anxious to perpe uate ins continuance along witli a continual repetition of all its attendant evils. I have nothing whatever to say against the liotelkeepers. Thsy are a body of respectable men I believe, but unfortunately for* t'he community the ultimate effect of the traffic has a demoralising and degrading tendency and ii> in a great, measure responsible for the distiiution and impoverishment of many of its vie .fans, and what is still more regrettable the premature death of many of our useful and respectable citizens. As a moderate man I appeal to all moderate men to freely sacrifice tlieir personal wants in this direction if only for the sake of extending a helping hand towards their more unfortunate- fe!:owr>, more especially if it will ba the mear.o whereby they will attain a position of independence, comfort, and contentment and help them to ultimately reach a higher plane where they will become in the truest sense of tlie word, the equal of their fellowmen. As no good purpose can be served by a continuance of this controversy vfiih a person-who is evidently ashamed to sign hie name : it is, so far ais I am concerned (apart- from any pen;onal question) absolutely closed.—l am; etc.,

G. J. WREATH ALL Geraldine 16.7..08.