"DROPPERS."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 1 April 1913, Page 3

"DROPPERS."

A GROWING EVIL, AND HOW TO COPE WITH IT. ADDRESS BY MR J. T. M. HORNSBY. This was the somewluit uuusual kind of announcement made in our columns on the subject to be dealt with at the Methodist Church last night. There was a large congregation,- the church being filled with an attentive gathering of people. The text was taken from. Proverbs 23rd, the 29th to 32nd versos. Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, who was the preacher, said that every well-wisher of our youth would surely say "God speed" to any movement which aimed at destroying the devilish traffic that had reared its monstrous head in Masterton. An illicit trade had sprung up, and if it went unchecked wouid involve many young men and boys in degradation and ruin. It was for the young men and boys he wanted to plead. His heart went out to these lads because of their foolishness and the temptations to which they were subjected. He was deeply interested in the young men and boys of the land —they were the hone of New Zealand —and he appealed to every one present to come forward and assist in any work which would free our lads from this grave clanger of which, he was to speak that night. "My heart," said Mr Hornsby, "also goes out to the mothers and gathers of those who are led into the abyss; but especially am I concerned about those young men and boys who have no parents here, and few to say a kindly word or offer a word of advice." A Contrast.

What was needed, in the first place, was the awakening of the public conscience, and with confidence he appealed to all men and women worthy of the name to join in a crusade that would sweep the evil out of their nv.dst. Ever since the mooting of the proposal to send an expeditionary force of men from this country to uphold the supremacy of Britain leading articles had been written, speeches made, and letters published denunciatory of the movement. He did not stand for the proposal himself, let him say, but he wanted, to put the point'in this wayi Suppose for the sake of argument that the force should be raised. What then? The force might never be needed,- and he prayed Godit might never be,' but if it should? It might not be called upon once in twenty, thirty, or fifty years' Yet, every year—every twelve months in' New Zealand (not in Australasia") — every year that passed in this our own country saw 10,000 men recruited for the army of Drunkenness'. And there were no leading articlos, no perfervid utterances, few protests, and only a spasmodic attempt every three years to wipe out the stain of this awful record. In Mesterton there was some opposition to the enrolment of boys and young men as cadets and as territorials; yet every day and every night, young men and even boys were being enrolled as recruits in the army of misery and degradation. ' The Dropper.

What was the "dropper's" method of procedure »ad practice? How appropriate the title " dropper! -'' Any man, young or old, who carried on this nefarious traffic, dropped from him the last vestige of manhood; dropped honour, honesty, decency, and stood-before his fellow as a mean,, despicable, unworthy creature. Surely, if men could but realise this truth) they would be ashamed, and turn themselves once again to "honest modes of life. The "dropper" was not content with the profits between the purchase price and the selling price. The capsule 3of spirit bottles were removed, the spirit divided into other bottles, water added, and the '' strength'' made up with methylated spirit, and other awful ingredients. Those victims of the '' dropper'' and his. aides who imbibed these compounds were driven almost mad by the vile stuff. Little boys were pressed into the service and could guide the people who sought these drinks to the places where the "plants" were made. The small boy was being debauched as well as others. On the night prior to Good Friday (in Holy Week, let them remember), he had seen the process of the obtaining of the liquor by the "droppers." He had seen theMowner of the cars carrying their stores of liquor from the hotels in a neighbouring town; bottles tied up in small sacks, demijohns of liquor; and worse still, young fellows filled with liquor, stacked into the cars and howling like Dervishes as along the streets of the town." "ISr -Holy Week; in Christian New Zealand; in the 20th century! The motor car had made Ihlirtlijiig possible, and they must seek some way-to, deal with this new development and stay v its' progress. The Police. -

He asked that he might-not be misunderstood. The police were doing then 1 duty to the utmost of their power; they were/ ever on the alert, and .sought to bring wrong-doers to ' justice; but — (there was a tremendous "but")—it seemed as though it was impossible for the police to secure a conviction. Some help was needed, and it was for the public to give that help. Some time ago, when sly grog selling was rampant in Wellington, Dr. McArthur, senior Magistrate, and chairman of the Licensing Committee, hit upon the plan to call up the merchants and bottlers who supplied those well-known illicit traders, and to tell them that unless the traffic ceased, then licenses would be in danger. An immediate effect for the better had- been produced. Very well; here in Masterton they must adopt a similar method. They must go to the Borough Council, and to the Mayor and his Councillors they must say: "In the name of God and humanity, we appeal to you to let these motor car meii know that if they do not cease from the illicit traffic —a traffic that is dragging young men down to damnation — their car licenses will be cancelled." '' We must go,'' said the speaker, '' to the Licensing Committee at Carterton, and, in the name of God and our common humanity, appeal to them that they inform the hotelkeepers and wholesale license holders that if the supply of liquor to these well-known traffickers does not cease, the licenses will be in danger. We must go to the Government of the day and let the Minister for Justice know all the facts, and how the law is being distorted and even torn to tatters by the issue of what are neither more nor, less than bogus certificates. We must do ajl this and much more in order to cope with this evil, and never rest until wo have rooted out the sin and disgrace of it all." The Wages. . Young men had been boasting of the amount of money earned by them as "droppers.' Did they ever look upon this money and ask themselves what sort of money it was? Did they realise -hat on that money were the tears of mothers,;the indellible stain of ruin and disgrace "of young:: nien£- the" curse of lives iesirtiyed, and, hearts made" vdeeo ; lateT Did these'traffickers realise that every penny bo made was unclean aad

abominable? If they did, surely the dirty money made in so degraded a calling would burn >their bands, an! their lost manhood would be regained by a desertion of such a blighting and blasting calling. Some time since an outcry had been made about the police methods of detecting sly-groggeries. Those people* who carried on such places were law-breakers of the worst kind, and it was quite right to use any and every means to detect and punish them. If any of those present had gone by a house and heard the cry of a child in pain or the wail of a woman in agony, would they not use any and every means to discover who it was that was causing the pain and misery? Yes; and that was just what the police did. The low wail of many a woman and the cry of many a stricken child was caused by the sly-groggery, and many a man's career was being blighted. Men gave up home, wife, children, everything for drink; and there was not a man or woman there present that had not seen or known such facts. There was no need to exaggerate. The truth was awful enough in all ednscience \.-j call down condemnation of a traffic that was doing infinite harm all over the/world. A "Wowser." For his deliverance that night, he would be denounced as a "Wowser." What was a'' Wowser ?' ; Let him call an .imaginary parade. Lot the ''Wowform up on tho one side of the street and the drinkers s and drunkards on the other. Let him call the "Wowsers" to attention. They could stand to attention, bright-eyed, sober men an 1 women and happy children. Back of them, homes of happiness and cheerfulness, with children well cared for, and frugality and prosperity apparent. On the other side .of the street, call the drunkards to. attention., They cannot respond. ,' Look at their:faces; look at their homes,- "see the 1 misery, the neglect; the crime, the suffering. "Seventy p«"-eent-oftie crime;" say our judges and-our magistrates) "is traceable to-drunkenness." And these men were the concomitants f the gaols, the mental hospitals, and the other hospitals where we took care of the broken and bruised ones who* had gone down because of the degraded appetite? of the men who gave way to drink. We saw in the ranks of the drink victims "the depravity of youth jrrown old in misery and want, beauty clothed with rags and shame, and manhood shorn of w glory. ?'.[ The speaker then closed with a fervent appeal to all to stop this traffic which would do untold harm if permitted to go on and increase. He appealed to everyone—even those who might not agree with all his ideas on the liquor question —to take part in a movement that would result in removing thw great crime against our young people. He appealed to fathers and mothers. "What is the case of one mother to-day may r* yours to-morrow." If all of. them, without respect to creed or opinion on titlier matters, would but band together, could right this wrong. Would tney do this for the sake of our boys? les, he know they would, and such a movement would be commenced that night as would enable them to say: This sin against our lads shall cease, and those who are now profiting by this degrading trade must find either anether :i *a|of Tse or go out from th<> midst of this community.