Page 5 Advertisements Column 1

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16905, 2 December 1922, Page 5

He Asked For It —And He GOT It! A Letter from Mr. Sam Gompers, Washington, U.S.A. To Captain W. H. Hawkins, New Plymouth, N.Z. Capt. W. H. Hawkins, a leading Prohibitionist organiser and lecturer, wrote to Sam Gompers for information regarding the operation of Prohibition as affecting American workers. Sam Gompers is President of the American Federation of Labour, representing 4,500,000 workers. Mr. Gompers’ reply to Capt. Hawkins is printed below Why didn’t Captain Hawkins tell the public of New Zealand what this official of America’s great Labour organisation wrote to him ? Why didn’t he ? Because it did not suit his purpose! That is how the truth about Prohibition is suppressed by the officials of the Prohibition Party. "AO not let the workers of New Zealand fool themselves into the belief U that they will be benefited by such sumptuary legislation. If one right can be taken a way, two can be, and if two, any number stolen from the people.” See Letter Below * ms?*. f '■Mr* Mr. Sam Gompers , a* “ The Grand Old Man of American Labour,” a ‘President of the American Federation of Labour. m biscrt 1551 American Federation of Labor tu lit m DbtH h ▼'im-rrerttoat. V, ©. V U SofaMl auei, 1 TJoB-fVoaI(U«U Joe. 9. Tiumt Stxtt Cm ip Trial Titiuw IBAt.. Ofchfc riM.Preal«enK ftuw Dew*, E Bid*, Ui. Xl«fcth Rut ms* Sttmmu %k&>rmUat T..A- *«**». Vat TekliftM 8U CMe«». lit-Ow-fnitleat, Pikiu, Cut VloMfu Street. IKtvnfeUi, liß l F Oft 6UIUSING U>na distance telephone main 3*71-2-; CABLE AOOB6SS, AFEL. 1 WOR-EAK September 1, 1920. Cap-tain W. H. Hawkins, The Bungalow, New Plymouth, New Zealand Dear Sir and Brother: Your letter of July 17 received. You state: v ■ Personally X am of the opinion that if our party gripped tba question (liquor) with both hands and pronounced definitely for total National Prohibition we could and would sweep the polls at the next general election. X am convinced that the abolition of alcoholic liquor would prove of immense benefit to our clas3 in thi3 Dominion. ’’ Labour since the beginning af time has sought freedom, to secure and maintain the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Every agitation that has for its purpose the taking away of a right from the people should be fought—not supported—by Labour. Every article in the Constitution of the United States and every amendment except one has been to guarantee the people of our country a right. The one exception, the Eighteenth Amendment, takes away a right and in taking away that right it has made of our people a nation of rebels. Although the eighteenth amendment is part of the Constitution of the United States it has not prevented the drinking of intoxicating liquor. It has not only encouraged the illicit sale of whiskey to the people, but it has been the means of turning homes of former law-abiding citizens into illicit breweries and distilleries. “Blind Pigs” where liquor is sold surreptitiously and “bootlegging” where individuals carry around intoxicating liquors to sell to people they can trust are common practices in the United States to-day. Not only do they do this almost openly in some quarters but they are upheld by public opinion. Even representatives of the Department of the Government that enforces the act are continually charged with selling liquor they have confiscated under the law. Smuggling whiskey from other countries is looked upon with as much favour as would the furnishing of food to starving people. The term •smuggler’ does not now have the oppobriu® resting on'it that, it had in previous days.. • " Immediately there was a revulsion of feeling among the citizens of the country. This has grown more intense as time has passed. As an evidence of this feeling permit me to mention an incident that occurred at the Democratic Convention held in San Francisco in June to nominate a candidate for the presidency and also vice-presidency. A resolution was introduced by no less a person than William Jennings Bryan providing for an endorsement of px-ohibition by the convention. This resolution received less than 100 votes out of more than 1092 votes possible. I agree with you entirely regarding the evils which have resulted from over indulgence in drinking. x know of no other factor which has contributed more toward temperance than the bona fide trade union movement; and the influence it exerts was gradually eliminating the evils of intemperance and establishing temperance in drinking as well as in all other things beneficial to humanity. Enclosed, you will find a letter sent by me to the President of the United States, in which I charged that the greatest harm against liberty ever perpetrated, was the prohibition amendment to the constitution of the United States. You also say; t “Gan you therefore help me with your guidance and counsel. Of course you are not conversant with our conditions here but you do know that we have an island dominion far removed from anywhere, selfcontained and. self-reliant. Therefore it seems to me that total i National Prohibition can be tried here under ideal conditions. ” If you accept my guidance and counsel you will not encourage legislation similar to that in the United States on the question of prohibition. The labour movement is seeking at all times the economic advancement of humanity. It fights with ail its power any attempt to minimize or take away a right of any kind. The great war was fought to maintain the political freedom of the nations of the world, to destroy autocracy and its repressive laws. Men were killed and maimed, families were broken up, blood flowed like the waters in the streams to maintain democracy. The first act of the United States to bring home to us the fact that autocracy still lives was the adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment. Do not let the workers of New Zealand fool themselves into the belief that they will be benefited by such sumptuary legislation. If one right can be taken away rwo can be, and if two, any number can be stolen from the people. Fight with all your might for temperance in all things but fight as hard and just as intensively to maintain every right, to which you are entitled. Whatever I have written in thi3 letter has been publicly stated by me in this country. If it can be of any service to the workers in New Zealand they are at perfect liberty to use it as they see fit. Nearly every charge made by the American Federation of Labor as to the dangers of the Eighteenth Amendment t,o the Constitution of the United States is being substantiated almost daily- Therefore my advice to you is not to encourage prohibition. The sale of beer and light wines is also placed under the ban in this country. No beverage can contain more than one half of one per cent of alcohol. While whiskey, beer and light wines are not manufactured for sale, half the homes in the United States, it is believed, have their distilleries, and beer and wine—making plants. The eighteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States was adopted by less than 5000 people. It was not the will of the people. Congress with 531 members, passed a resolution declaring for prohibition and the legislatures of thirty-six states ratified it which’made it a part of their constitution. In the thirty-six states there are less than 4-500 members, making the total number who took away a right from the people amount to less than 5000. With best wishes, I remain. Fraternally yours. President, American Federation of Labor. You MUST Cross Out TWO LINES | or Your Vote is INVALID! This Vote CONTINUANCE w « I vote for National Continuance I votc-fer State-PunciiAoc and 1 Control j*votc for National Pnomm Ymi!# &