NO-LICENSE MEETING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9318, 19 August 1908, Page 1

NO-LICENSE MEETING.

♦ MRS HARRISON LEE AT WOOLSTON. Last evening Mrs Harrison Lee, who fe visiting Canterbury in the interests »f the No-License party, addressed a meeting of about thirty-five persons at the Oddfellow's Hall, Woolston. Mr W. Thomas, who was chairman, made a brief introductory speech. He said that just before the liast licensing poll the hotels in the electorate had been well* conducted, but when continuance had been carried the law had been broken many times, and the law was continually 6eing broken up to three weeks ago. Mrs Lee said that during her tour of the North Island she had found it difficult, almost impossible, to get an excited meeting, because the public Dpinion was everywhere in favour of no-license. The liquor party endeavoured to show that no-hcense was a failure, and many .liquor people, after trying to make it a failure condemned the prohibition party. If the No-license party indulged in the sly grog-selling it would be proper to blame them, but it was the people who sent drink into a prohibited district that should be condemned. The large vote in favour of prohibition in New Zealand at the last optio* ..poll had affected the legislation in New South Wales, where an option poll had been granted to the people, and the effect had also been felt in Victoria. She was frequently naked why the No-License party did not accept the famous clause 9 when the late Premier, Mr Seddon. inserted it In his Licensing Bill. They did not accept it because the people were not ready for it, but as soon as the whole dominion had carried no-license ami the people asked that no liquor, should be allowed in the country, clause 9 would be reinstated and supported! When Clutha carried no-license the battle centred there, and at the following option poll it was confidently predicted that the electorate would revert to continuance, but it did hot do so, and at the next poll the prohibition vote was »yen higher. The liquor party did not mention Clutha now ; they spoke of Ashbnrton as they had done of Cjutha. Mrs Lee advocated the introduction of temperance teaching in public schools, and concluded her addressby appealing to her hearers to vote against the open bar. Mrs Lee was accorded a vote of IfiP-nkfi amid applause. '