PROHIBITION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6499, 31 May 1899, Page 4

PROHIBITION.

i . '—*> •v ; ] MEETING OP GEERGY." > '-. A meeting of clergy was held in the rooms*ipf'lhe Young Men's Christian- -Associationjlasfr evening, to consider tlie* position of tire--j Church with regard to thw 'prohibition? movei ment, ■ which will be an issue at the ; fortfojcoming- general election. Bishop Jul-iuvwas-'voted to the cba-ir. - Tlu-jre- were present-:- — ! The -Revs- J. Orchard, JY.lSii Simpson-,- ~'~. 'Baumber. J. J. Doke, J:"Jl North, ".SL J":. 'Baker, IT. C. M. Watson; B. M'Nictoll,. J. Smith, T. A. Williams,. G: A. Fraer;- T.' WV iNewbord, A. B. Cluippeir,. J. A: ! Hosking, IJ. J. Cairnev, E. A. S'dott. H. Nortlicute,. A. H: " Treadwell, R,. S6»tt Allan; C.'. HT.. , Laws, BT. T. Purchas-. ; H- " M. 'Smythe.. J!, Holland, H. Dunnage/,-!. " SatgieSam. D l .. ißodge-rsand Dr Erwir..',-. i • Bishop Julius said th'af, as ch;._irinai_, he; tiow brought the ma-it-i- Before the" meeting«f their- action in regard! to th*' -licensing' '| question at tbe c'nming-elfection. Though h« had not intended to ■ say ninny words, l* 8 $ca reefy" liked to stand." llpf ore them wfthoiriS making a- sta tern i-t- witii- regard-ctwtlie.nice.-jjng of the Angl .can -clergy, to wh'i cli? refer-. Once liad been made- iir the miuutesi whi_&' bad Been read: That' meeting was; co hn-ra . beeir w private, one^aiid. the resointioir agreod ro ought not to h.itfeUp'en. made-public ui.til fhe proper tinie. At' that; hieecing fie l*tid before trie olei gy niS; own .vie\» -upon their bosMon in regardy.vo, tbe Ifc'ensihg vwte.'; Mnnv would knowHlvrfi- a ..the- last session of ,• J:he Anglican Synod* a resolution-, was pussed' Expressing approval! of the feotliwiburg, or fnmr similar systems of licensing control., 'il'hat was cni-vievt'liwa considerable majority, ;i rrvl' it was furiii^r desired that some l!e«igu<e» fSlwniM be formed' iff the diocese ior the pu_r« rose- of tbe pi-f.ifloVion of sbme-socli form of. jli-.m.e. No fttrtfter -steps had' been taken iby- tlie members ,«f the Cftni.eh of Eiigla_nd •hi- tbat direction,. for reasons- -wfiich l_e n.ed •litr-t state. WKifl* he waa--.- fufly in: accv.ud' jwitli that resolution— and lie wished to say |s-i_« quite '■platnTj-? — however -ini-practicablß'- it j might seem at Che present ti'rae, he. had>to. [face the questiion of bow- -life was going -td 'vote afc the Hj-fliing election. Was he.prej pared bo vote for the eontinwance 1 of a sys?jtem he had' already denounced? Was-'lie i prepared fco> x-wte redaction-,, knowing pen--i fectly weTlT.ii.it reduction nwnnt the destnioj tion of a tew oi the poorest-;, and possibly- t-fie worst, houses, to tbe strengthening of those I <'iat remained, nr was be prewired to vote " no license ? " He was perfectly woll-avware that tho statement that^lie would vote ""no license "'would raise a stocm, as it woufc} be confusfed; and had-* 1 been confounu_sl-. with prohibition. He need searceJiy say -that he v-"*-- 'iot a prohibitionist, because lie .did not wish personally te-deprtre a mara> of-'tfee ol> 'portnnitv of getting drink if he wished +-o "et iv. But- be ejrtd object to putting f utb'ptsi- , '■'on iti flip, way of bis brother, anrl wlule he refused to vote "-no license," -he was a party to the owning <*/ every hsr-iii the city of Cliristchurch, and the 'lifting of temn tation in t!iR avh-v of his brother men. (Apnlausc.) He could not agree . to do that. 'Ai)t..-us<o And' whatever personal abu.w iij*mightbring-npori-jhim,he ii.tend.ed, forpiß* one, to vote "no license." (Applause.) TJ the time should come when the present trad", .was 'practically suppressed, or- a better svs.jtem of licensing. could be found', winch did jnot put tempt<i«j.n in tbe_freibt of menv; lie : did not say that he would not be. nrepui-ed . !to give it- support. For bis «-n part,.- be did not care to own public-house property. If there were men, or a lai'ge number of*mea, who wanted- their driwk; and they- badi a right to hav-« it, and could* find a Wiy of gctting.it supplied without casting t-itiipta-ii o V "vvnni>'s wiv, let thp'Ti hi: in*- "t, but he was- nob prepared to. assist them. He had not intencTled to make- a speech, bjni. Tiavin* 1,0n, n oiill,vl to the position of he felij; that; he must st*.iit« how he wis <ro"hi to vote, and why: (Apolause.)i Hs theii asked for a motion.- to forma tlv- bring the question to be discussed beforo the meel- , L»gI ; The Rev J. Jj. Doke said tfeofe; the n.eetwg

1 held a fortnight agiy had »resolved : on two ftoints for united action. There were many more members present at this meeting: than ; at the last, and , he would nropose that 1 the present meeting wa's firmly lirdtedv on tie basis accepted- on the previous occasion.- He said that the reform should reach* as Mr as possible. He could not interpret it further than that it readied the wholesale- as- well- as the retail bu&- y nessi- i Bishop' Julius said that whether the vote includecf the whole question or not was", not for -.the meeting to deckle. That wiis j a matter for the lawyers. His reading of. j the Act as regarded Clutha was that the' ■ wholesale license was done away . with: under 'the "no license" vote, but a brewer.could continue to supply liquor so' long as ! '- he did not supply in' the prohibited ■ district." i TheLßev J» J^ Doke moved, and the. ! Rev W. Baum'dei" seconded-^-" That we t affirai unitedly, _.-a basis for action,' • theof indu.iiig. people to vote for the double issue of 'reduction' and 'no--li-cense' at the coming election.'-' His Lordship, said that the wording -of •the resolution as regarded "we" was ratherunhappy. It should, be made more definite. . After some discussion, the wording of the resolution wag altered to read as fol:lo W s:--"That this meeting of mihisteiK- of religion agrees to adopt the ' reduction ' 'and 0 ' no license ' vote at the coming election aa a basis of united action." Tlie Rev" H. ; S.' Northcote opposed the' motion. He said that if they got "no. license," naturally the -same work ahd "the same ideas would bev taken up in other parts of the colony, with the result, that almost total prohibition would come about. He would'- much rVSier see ■ some Tsteps taken to carrv out publichouse l ref orrtiv"' The publ-cuns thonlselves were alive to the necessity " of some reform, being- made in the'r business. A good' deal could be done in the direction of education and coemon, principally the latter, and ; '' it ' would "be' a far more satisfactory course to follow. Oiie of those present asked if one member dissented from the,- resolution did. not the whole thing fall: tor pieces. He _said that he did not altoge-her- agree withi it himself. He knew what the conduct ot ' hotels' was-,- but h- felt tßatr'ther. would-be an element ' of in justices? both j under the present Aot and if .prohibition were m force If the employees ih this- trade vrere thrown out of work- through t^.P^sing of the meaffure, he could not help feel ing that these people would nave a claim u] mn Sem if thivwere depmeff.of their means of subsist-nce. He -could" not agree; ■to th The Rev Dr Envin said, that he wc uid' ! vote for thfi>-'«iu_e of "towlieense? and- rei duction. He was auite aware that scime I evils woulu-L'iirise, but tt© measure waai on i the whole decidedly for the good of the | communitS". . i '. The Rev H. C. M. AVatspiß, in answer i to the mem'btfrs- who. bads opposed the r-eso- ; lution on tae-ground; that it would deprive the employees of their rc_sans of livelihood,. : said that the money: which was now sjx-na. ' 6n' liquor -would' be d iveitecT in- other d t?c- ttions'to the advani.-age of' trade: ■ His quoted some? London, statistics to show tlmdisproportionE!t& amounts' spent in liquo_; ; as against tliat, for instance, expended onr : _:he_e'we_e nearly -thi'eu times as miwiy people ' employed in th_-wco_.- --: len trade as in the liquor traffic, tht. re- ! ceipts • fronr wlnich. amounted ti> ; £155,000,000" '• antra ally, and the returnsfrom the" f6raiev. in. liistrjr were much-'le&r. i He believed' that if prohibition 'were carried, in t£e<three yi ;ars for which it WQiiid : bold good- *■ grsat I improvement would .•'& i effected, i The maticiT, was carried, with three dfa- ■ sentients.' : The'Rev-J*.. J. Dc" ike then moved, and fife ; Rev J. GrfiKard. set ionded^-^ 1 That the-time-is now ojypoi'tntie to issue an appeal to the ! Christian peopfe of Clinstehurch, sig'ned- ! by I all ministers, who will?' urge them to sup- ; p^rt us iii- tlie-' enu ade,. amd that a circular ! should lie • drifted , and'so(Kf copies pri«ito_ without- d-ltvy." The Rev HL C. 1 vl. ' Watson movedy *;xt<r an amendm»»t'; ; (.Beat- -a commrttee, consis'tii^T : of the Revw- J. J. Doke, Dt Erwin, S.v J. '. Baker, W:. Bauraber- and E. A.- S6oilt, ! should be» foinr.d to draw up an appear! to ■ the pufiUbj. to b s sabim.ii.ed to a fiituire 1 meeting of ntemb ers. i Dr : -Ei-win secc >ndell tlie amendirtent ,. to | which the name . of the arciver was^adiisd ! as a member otf tlie committee. . ; Dr iJi'Wi'n said that one of the ?ast , stroke*.-. Be&cs t-1 ie eleWtaHS should. vbe> the i issue offllieMe-.cinailiiSs'.-; : The- original motion- toti- withdnctwin in : favoiir, it«)f the amendment',, which; was <a.r- --'• ried. Tlie meetiig t-Bua adjourced' till i Tuesdoi". .tone 13. Lit 3' p.m., in the'ixnsms ! of the Young Merr's'' Christian Assoojerfion, |.wheny betsiJ-S the-appeiiO!, other- flautttaw in «oni_ae-i«n.- with vM& prohibition., qiasstion will. Ue- eonsideredv.