A WET ARGUMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17735, 8 December 1919, Page 6

A WET ARGUMENT.

•DEFENCE OF LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

AN AUSIRALIAN'S VIEWS

There was a fairly larye audience at His Majesty's Theatre last night, whoi ftu anti-prohibition address was given oy Mr George Dui'ham. The Mayor presided, and introduced the speaker as an ex-member of the Victorian Parliament. 31r Durliam, at the outset, said the question on which the New Zealand people would shortly be called upon to vote was so important that nobo.ty 'would dare to mislead them. He hoped 'There was a number of prohibitionists present, and he was prepared to respect "their opinions and motives, but lie believed in the majority of coses the prohibitionists had not heard the other mile. Both sides should be heard, and the peopb should then vote as their ■consciences dictated. He would endeavour to prove that prohibition would not accomplish the purpose that its support. ers cOaimeid. . ' . ■% t\ Proceeding the speaker quoted Dr. Yaiintino and Dr. Fyfe in favour of.al--bohol during the epidemic. He was prepared to concede that likuor had caysed a greac deal of crime, misery and insanity, but he would quote statistics to sihow'that in States in America crime, iciaery and insanity had increased under prohibition No section of the eommunitv was entitled to force its views on another section. Prohibitionists Verc striking hard at the liberty of the suoiects. The claims of the freedom of the subject had been stressed by such weil known writers as John Stewart MiH, Herbert Spencer, and Kant, ' The speaker went, on to picture a poor, hard working man cracking 'stones. He was entitled to his glass of beer at the end of the day s work. A Voice: 'Plenty of water about. (Laughter). The Speaker: It is a pity you don t take move of it. ""Mr Durham said he could quote a clerical bishop who said he would prefer ■a free England to a sober England, as a free England might became sober. • A Voice; He must; like his drop. (Laughter). Another Voice: Perhaps he has some shaves in the business. (More laughter). ■ Mr Durham went on to say that there wore.people in asylums because of drink, ■but it was equally true some people •were there on account at religion and 'other reasons. . . J Dealing with prohibition in America, Mr Durham related some of, the ruses ■to get drink into the dry State of Detroit. It was noticed that some very -portly women were 'coming into the State. ■ .' A Voice : Portergaff. (Laughter). — Mr Durham : Some of them had very big busts, and when they stuck a hatpin in——- '• A Voider She btist. (Loud laughter). Dakota was the next State mentioned, and the- speaker discoursed on the evils of "Wind pigs and a compulsory r-old water diet." A Voice: You a;r© ten years behini the time 3.

A Voice: Can't yon. quote some other States? The Speaker: You will get them in a n:inute, brother. . , Mr .Durham quoted figures .and alleged that 'In the prohibition States the divorce rate had increased. He did not like to quote statistics as they were jather dry. A voice: We"ll all be dry soon. (Laughter.)

Mr Durham said Ohio had turned prohibition down and in Quebec (Canada) light wines and beer were still sold. In Mataura (New Zealand) drinking had increased under '^©-license. A voice: That is not the fault; of prohibition. ' " The speaker claimed prohibition drove drink into places where it could not be legislated for. It would b'.e driven into blind alleys and if they were not careful into houses #here no mother would be pleased for her boy to go. Men would drink substitutes if they could not get litpipr. If they allowed one section to force its will on the others they would also have to look out that tliat section did not also force its will as far as tobacco and horse racing were concerned. 1 A voice: Never in your life. Mr Durham said the prohibitionists had enlisted able speakers. The Rev. Dawson had made a comparison between wet and dry ports across the Pacific,- saying that from dry ports the steamer got away sharp to time. A voice: Ahead of time. - . At Suva Mr Dawson said the steamer was timed to leave at midlay, but when they asked what time the vessel would leave they were told to ask the firemen. Mr Dawson said dry America was forging ahead from drunken Britain. But how would Mr Dawson feel if he worked in a stokehold at Suva. ! A voice: Dry. (Laughter.) The speaker contended that at Honolulu, which was a dry port, the amount of drunkenness through illicit trade was having a most injurious effect. Liquor was now there a .drug and not a drink. On September 23 a cable had appeared from the Daily Mail in London saying that the British Government had cabled the American Government asking them not to grant passports to prohibition agitators. »'«A voice: Question! "■'Mr Durham claimed now the war was over nothing should be done to cause industrial unrest. He did dot think his arguments had been too far fetched. ••A voice: I do. (Laughter.) ""In conclusion, Mr Durham claimed that in America prohibition had caused the evils that the prohibitionists themselves were fighting against and that it would cause the Same thing in New Zealand. Questions were invited by the Mayor.

Mr Durham did not consider 10 o'clock closing had anything to do with the question.

"A man when he takes his first drink does not expect to become a drunkard so why not abolish it," was the next query.

"A man when he gets married does not expect to end in the divorce court," was the reply.

A voice: There is drink in undesirable houses now.

Mr Durham: How do you prohibi tionists know? '

A voice: Answer the question (Hear, hear.)

A voice: He can't and he won't

Mr Durham: He can and he will. As to whether it is there or not I cannot say, but it is there it is against the law. He added that "moonshining" could not be stopped anywhere in the world. Confucius had, 1000 years before Christ, enacted a law against liquor but had not stopped it.

Finally, Mr Durham said the Press had tried to drag him into the political contest by associating him with Mr Veitch. Mr Veitch had nothing to do with his views. He had not been asked to speak in favour of Mr Veitch at the Opera House meeting.

• Mr Durham was tendered a vote of thanks for his address.