DUNEDIN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1890, 23 April 1892, Page 3

DUNEDIN NOTES.

( From our own Correspondent.)

However much we may differ from the party who have taken to themselves the Herculean task of destroying the liquor traffic, however much or however strongly we may question the wisdom of their ways, or even the soundness of their conclusions, we cannot, at all events, withhold from them the credit of consistency, nor can we fairly doubt the quality of their motives or pass lightly over the personal sacrifices their selfappointed mission entails. Indeed ,with them their enthusiasm in the work they are engaged in has long since grown and crystallised into a religion as tangible and distinct as any Co be found in the Christian, calendar. Scarcely a month passes in which they have not succeeded in introducing some now element of life and motion into the movement. It is not an easy thing to do, perhaps ; but it is, nevertheless, done, and during the entire year the enthusiasm of the rank-and-file is never allowed to abate nor the fervency of their belief in their ultimate success permitted to diminish. The itinerant lecturers, who are for their own comfort becoming, perhaps, rather too numerous, keep the fires alight, supply new arguments, new and more binding beliefs, and altogether put quite a new soul into the crusade. In this respect the saviour of the hour is Mr R. T. Booth, an American, who has been long enough on the highway of the world to have lost or rubbed off some of the most distinguishing and, perhaps, interesting characteristics of his nation. He was here once before, I think, now some seven or eight years ago, and since then he has been moving from platform to platform, uttering the same or nearly the same arguments, the same warnings, and the same terms of denunciation. Almost necessarily, his lectures all have a set, mechanical ring about them, have, as it were, lost that heat and warmth both of expression and feeling that belong to words at their birth. The fact is his speeches have been spoken very many times before, and after being laid to rest have, as occasion required, been taken from their cerements, resurrected, and galvanised into an artificial form of life, and once' again made to do service and appear as if they had just seen the light i for the first time. Mr Booth, it is true, lis a man of consummate art at his busi-

ness, declaims with great naturalness and force, is acquainted with all the tricks of the trade, or rather, of the platform, but yet there are times when his periods, constructed though they are with much loftiness of style, sound stiff and stagey to the trained ear. But he is yet a powerful speaker, a fact which receives very oloquent demonstration in the applause and the crowded audiences that nightly accompany his lectures. I have often thought, as a mere looker on, as a passive spectator of the fight between the beer interests and the cold water advocates, that the great cause of the comparative failure that has attended the efforts of the latter is to be found in the sweeping character oftheir demands. Were they le3s revolutionary in their aims, or rather did they content themselves with a gradual advance, killing small abuses and accomplishing small but important reforms on their line of march, instead of wasting their strength in pitched battles, -they would receive much more general support and.accomplish their object much sooner than they are likely to at present. Indeed, I fancy the most thoughtful atnyng them are beginning v to see the hopelessness of their efforts in the direction of prohibition as things at present stand, and hence the energy with which they are concentrating their forces on the women's franchise question. They see that even the winning of a licensing election does not mean protection ; and that until the whole machinery of the liquor law has been overhauled, if not demolished and re-cast, they are helpless .to strike an effective blow. This cannot be done unless they are better represented in Parliament, and that experience has proved they will not be unless the women are invested with the franchise. Tet Mr Fish, who is to the brewers and publicans what Sir Wrn. Fox is to the temperance people, chiefly bases his opposition to that measure on the ground that women will not use the franchise if provided with it. In his petition, for which, by-the-way, he has secured a legion of names, he endeavours to show that in those places in America where women are allowed to vote on school board and licensing elections they do not take advantage of the privilege, or have done so only so long as the thing had a flavour of freshness and novelty about it. With the view of justifying his opposition, Mr Fish furnishes some very striking figures, conclusive as far as they go. Of course it may be that, having effected their purpose, having carried certain desirable reforms, or cleansed and purified certain public institutions, and given proof oftheir determination to keep them in that condition, as well as destroyed all opposition to their wishes, they had ceased to put forth their strength. But yet it does not follow that they would continue so did the necesity arise. So you see even figures do not always represent the true side of a question. No one doubts that the women of this city, as well as of other places, had they votes to record, would insist on members of Parliament advocating such reforms in the liquor laws as would, virtually extinguish the trade, or, at all events, place it completely at the mercy of the public ; and having done so ! much, there might possibly, unless when : other social questions came up for treatment, be an appreciable diminution in the number of votes recorded by them. But yet that would be no proof that they did not value their privileges. There are at times elections fought out on questions that few women and even few men I either understand or feel strongly on; but when questions do come up that in- '■ timately concern them, it is but right they should be allowed to protect their own interests in the same manner as the other side. The curiosity of Mr Fish's position is that he stands alone ; he is the only individual on his side who shows his hand, though it is no secret that he is powerfully supported, but by a class whose appearance publicly would do anything rather than serve the cause they represent.

The proceedings in connection with the election of a chairman of the Education Board on Wednesday shoald have the effect of giving people at a distance, as well as all those who are not posted up on the ripple of events in that body during the past twelve months or so, an opportunity of getting comfortably on to the run of things. The apple of discord has been thrown among the once happy family, and the harmony and peace that once smiled on all their lifcttle domestic arrangements have vanished, it is to be feared, permanently. There are now two parties on the Board, have been, in fact, for some time, and there are in consequence family jars and recriminations, as there is sure to be in every household in winch division and disunion exists. The first most striking instance of internal dissension was found in the Pryde-Spence inquiry, and since then it is an open secret that the firm stand taken by the chairman, Mr Macgregor, in certain important matters of administration aroused the antipathy of a certain section of the Board. It was very plain on Wednesday that the clique referred to had concerted plans for controlling the business of tbe Board by putting one of their own number in the chair. It was also equally plain that the other party who were in a minority, were aware of what was going on ; in other words, knew exactly how the cat was jumping, and tried by every means in their power to avert by stratagem what they felt they could not otherwise prevent. Mr Fraer, they were aware, was the chosen of the other side, and in order to prevent this they tried hard but unayailingly to induce Dr Hislop to allow himself to be put, in nomination. Had he agreed, the calculations of the other side would have been completely disarranged; but Dr Hislop, for obvious reasons, refused, and the election, as h was well known it would, resulted in Mr. Fraer's return. After that, all disguise was thrown off 'and members showed their hands very plainly. Both Dr Stenbouse and Mr Jas. Green, the latter gentTefnan being the defeated candidate, spoke with great vehemence, and plainly indicated what their future plan of action will be. Of course it does not tend to the healthy discharge of business in any public body that one party should be in a position to control the entire machinery ; yet it is better that it should even be so, so long as there is a watchful and active opposition, than that a state of administrative stagnation should exist, or that members should be too accommodating to each other or too tolerant of official meddling or intrigue. It will be interesting to watch the future course of events; and, unless my judgment is very much at fault, there will be abundant opportunity for an interchange of thought between 1 the members of the Board.