PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN, 1911.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14457, 1 June 1911, Page 3

PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN, 1911.

A WORD TO THE ELECTORS OF TIMARU. (Published by Arraugemout.) Ladies and Gentlemen, —This is the year ot the Licensing Poll, In *'x months we shall he called upon to give our verdict and decide the fiUe oi ! the licensed bars Tor three veal's to conve. Tin vote on this question will ajso decid-o the fate ul' many voting men in Timnru. It will tell powerfully on the happiness of many fathers «*nd mnlli.>rs, wives and sisters. It will decpiv ronrern the peace and well-being <>l many homes. The time has now arrived for a ureat united-determined effort, to elo.-e tiio.se liars and free our lair land from their blighting demoralising influence. OUK KXCOI'iIAOKMICXT^.

)Ve have much to encourage thr? work. The Parliament of New Zealand has recognised, at length, that the no-license people form a big majority of th.* electors of the'.Dominion and must be listened to. That Parliament has placed fresh legislation on ihe Statute Hook which is a great advance on anything we have hitherto bad. f lh:s legislation reveals the trend of opinioii among our legislators, and is a clear indication tlmt all our just demands in the "way of legislation will soon be granted. Our new legislation means that all hotels in the Dominion must close at 10 o'clock; that no youth under 21 years of age may be supplied with intoxicating liquor hv any 'hotelkeeper; that the barmaid must 'Jo . that the depot and loeker systems art; now illegal. It means also that for thj first time we shall have THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY

of voting not only for ths closing of the bars in Yimuru, but also for the exclusion of strong drink from xli-e whole of our Dominion. This great opportunity should he a great inspiration to the heart* of all who dfsirc to' see our land freed from this des;*uetivo traffic Vni'ortmiately the threehfthsy majority lias &till been retained, but the indications are that after tlie coining election that too must go. ABROAD. Vve are also encouraged by the spread of no-lieemo sentiment t'ha world over. In Britain a- Government pledged to give the power of local option has twice been returned in the one year, lu America our cause advances by leaps and bounds. At present some two-thirds of the Union territory, including nine whole States, with about Mf of the entire population of the Republic, is now freed from the legalised sale -of intoxicating liquors. In Canada never has the da use made such strides as during tho last two years. Iceland and the Earoe Islands iuwe adopted, -with the sanction of the King of Don mark, tho prohibition of-tho manufacture, sale, and imuortatioii tf alcoholic liquors. Finland lias twice passed laws by very large majorities, to 'prohibit the liquor traffic in their fcoimtry. Only tho will of the autocratic fsar of Russia stands in the way -of their enforcement. Sweden is making .marvellous progress. The King and tho Croira Prince and * Princess are abstainers, and. from all the royal banquets intoxicants are excluded. A plebiscite, taken to ascertain the mind of the people a.s to whether or jiot the public houses should remain, revealed the fact that only 18.471 wjre for their rstontion. while 1,845.249 were in favour of permanent closing. This voting clearly indicates that tl|o. liquor traffic, even when conducted under the so-called blessings of disinterested management. is doomed ' in. .->weden at 110 distant date. Wo bring' these facis before you to show that UK .VRF, IX THE SWIM .AM) C['DttKNT OF A MIGHTY MOVEMPVf WORLD-WIDE IX ITS IUSACH

-REGULA'jriON v. PROHIBITION. - The closing of the bar is the only effective way 01-dealing with the drink evil. All nations -have been' trviii'' to regulate the Traffic, but in vain; In spite of all regulation and all restrictions which the wit of man can devise it continues ,to do its deadJv and drunkenness is increasing .every year where the open bar is allowed to remain. - In Belgium' acto the Timaru newspapers of' oth Xoveinber, the oonsnniption of alcohol has increased 54 per cent in 2u years, and there are 200,000 rases of illness annually from cxoessiV'S drinking, 2000 of which are fatal. In - , , As ?° eli "ion cable of December' oth M. Bnand is reported as having said in tho French Senate: "Tho Government is determined to combat Vjf'oJiolism. The situation is terrible Ihe very life of the nation is at stake " TIM.AIU-.

Matters are bad enough in Timaru, Where the tratfic is supposed to be restricted and regulated by Act of Parliament, by Licensing Committee, and by all the authority and viliganw of •Che Police Force. Daring the past year there has been, a great increase ot drunkenness—such an increase as has called forth special strictures from our fanpendary Magistrate 'and" Police Inspector.

In 1909 there were 190 convictions for drunkenness. In 1910 there were dlo convictions—an increase in i single year of almost 65 per cent FoV fi™t Quarter of 1911 we had 8-4 convictions—An increase of 6 on the average for 1910. These figuresOi'lucii only represent a. small part of the rit the liquor traffic) should open the eyes of Timaru electors io the u ork of the drink shops ill our midst. They should teach tins lesson that the Traffic cannot be regulated, and that- the ■ only wav to mend it is to end it.

THE BISHOP OF. LO.VDOX. Canon Hicks the recently appointed Bishop ot Lincoln, once said: '• 1 have no belief whatever in the alteration «f the conditions of use and snle ot drink as an ultimate remedy If a bishop owned a. public house! and; all Jus barmen were curates and barmaids members of tile W.C.T.U., he Mould say that the drink they sold would degrade and debase those who touched ,t,-' Wo as , ve |, [rv to regulate a rattlesnake by holding it u the tail, as to vote for the continuance ol the. open bars in Ximaru and then try to regulate them The way to regulate a rattlesnake is to kill It smash its head—its tail mav live until sundown, but it cannot bite." The +' a "i -u" '"°S u ':>t« the liquor business is to kill its head, tile licensed bar. Its V!'., m V' ,:ve , lor :1 time in cellars and <-uk places but its day is d<me. Tlie ' I^ n I ! ? ru - "P ' Uld -it ;t - Ihe battle cry of the campaign is— STRIKE OUT TT-TK TOF LINE ' EVJiKY TIME. . LUXURIOUS MOTOR CYCLING, There's a comfort and ease indescribable about the "Bat" Motor Cycle. No matter what the roads, and no matter what the speed, this machine ensures the most luxurious comfort to it's rider always. The sprjng frame of the "Bat" is an innovation unknown to other makes, and you don't know the real-joys of Motor-cvcling unless you've ridden on a "Bat." Dozens of trouble-saving innovations are woven into the Bat's make-up, the result is u reliable machine of extraordinary comfort and simplicity, universally known as " England's Hrst. " Vi'ri:*o Milling and Co., Clirisio-:.:-.for doUlllS--