Wast Coast Times

West Coast Times, Issue 1249, 30 January 1903, Page 2

Wast Coast Times

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1903

THE LIQOUn TRADE DEBATE

The dubate by MrT. M. Smith and the Rev Mr Trtstiail held recently at Greymouth on the liquor question possessed t-everal points of interest which lifted it above the plane of such frequent and oft limes commonplace controversies. The gentlemen who championed both sides lud a reputation as good public speakers aud thoy also canitd the weight of authority Mr Smith being accredited for the occasion as th« representative of the Grey Licensed Victuallers Association while Mr Trestrail was the advocate t of the Greymouth Bianch of the New Zealand Tempe-auce Alliance. The debate was father distinuuiblicd by the /act tint there wjs si distinct ordtr of referoncj, it ueiiitj confined to the manifesto of iho Urey Licensed Victuallers Association issued ou liie 25th November 1902 which icul rfs follows : — Liberty ! Independence ! Prosperity !

Prohibition mpans loss of Revenue locally of over £150.1 annually ; also loss of employment, entailing .serious hardship to scores of families in the diatnc\

Remember- Experience proves that Prohibition means social and commercial stagnation,' increased] taxes, sly grog selling, and a multitude of evils.

Most people will be agreed th?t this manifesto was a fairly large order and supplied food for a lengthy discussion. The fact that the deb to was coLfined to its limits led to the somewhat novel position that the advocate of the Tquor trade instead of being on the defensive as is usually the case, was able to the war into the evenings camp and used his arguments to show as be said himtelf "the evils that will result from prohibition" and "that "prohibition is not only immoral in principle, but is unsuccessful in practice " We doubt if Mr Smith** contentions fully proved these somewhat sweeping assertions any mora than that the equally broad statement of some prohibitionists that the drink traffic is responsible tor almost all the crimes in the calender ivca| able of proof.

The debate was conducted in a very impartial aid gentlemanly manner, the arguments set forth on both siie9 bping fairly pnt without any attempt to strain po'nts. There is, however, nothing new to be said on the su 1 jet,j ct, nothing that has not been said many titne before and Messrs Smith and Trestrail used the time honoured stock arguments, which have done good ?ervico on miny previous occasions. How much the large audiencj was influenced one way or the other is not knowu, as ro mear,s— either by popular vote or o herwioe— was taken to ascertain the state of the pnblic mind on the subject. We are inclined to think that very few converts were made ori either eide and the probabilities are that the result of the debate was to strengthen the preconceived ideas on both sides with which people went to the meeting. Neveitheless the liquor question looms very large in the public mind at present, and any means which lead to iis elucidation are of value. The'immense popular vote cast at last. Licensing Poll in favour of the temperance party shows at lea^t one thing, if it proves nothing else, that the people of the Colony are in the mood for reform on the question, though in what measure^how far they are inclined to go or how soon they will cry bait — i 3 a debatable point. The liquor traffic will certainly come under review next session and we may look for a demand from the members returned on the temperance ticket for the strict application of the la vaa it affects licensed houses. Ever since the lesson taught by the last Licensing Poll we have had numerous prosecutions for evasion of the licensing law ; Sunday and after hours' trading, supplying drunken m'nand prohibited persons, etc., so that a check on such practices will undoubtedly be a»ked for.

As for the broad issues raised in the Grej mouth debate, we are of opinion that prohibition throughout the Colony is a remote contingency. The reduction rote would no doubt be enormously increased if a compensation * clause was added but many vpeople consider it against their senie of British fair play to tako away a man's means of living for the purpose of enrichirg another in the same trade (that at least is the effect of the process) without compensating the loser of his license for his loss. An equitable means of dealing with this question of compensation would in our opinion be to increase the amount of the license to licensees who are allowed to keep open after reduction has been gone in for and find the money to compensate those who are closed from the fund thus accumulated.

The inward Frisco mail will arrive here on Saturday, at 5 15 p.m.

In our advertising columns a notice appears from the Railway Department in reference to important alterations and additions in our ordinary local train service.

Messrs Mark Sprot & Co who have been appointed agents for the Ltofcueka Fruit Growers Association (Ltd), will sell today, large quantities of raspberries, plums, tomatoes, currants, etc.

The Greymouth Trotting Club's Autumn meeting will be held on Victoria Park on March 16th and 19tb, and judging from the lengthy programme which may be seen in our advertisement columns, ie should be a most successful meeting.

There n likely to be a record attendance at Grej mouth to day for the c icket match against Lord Hawke's team. Special trtins to suit the occasion will be rua from all surrounding districts". The Enalish team will arrive in Greymouth at 11 o'clock this morning.

Mr J. Grirnmond M.C.C. and Chairman of the Westland Education Board, left by 1 rain yesterday on a vi 3 it to Auckland. While thero he will attend a conference of the Australasian Institute of Mining Engineers, who hold their first session »n Ne>v Zealand at Auckland, Dext week The Right Hon the Premier an i Minister of Mines have been invited to be present.

In our business columns to-day an announcfcmdnt is made by Messrs Mark Sprot & Co of a very important sale of a butchery business in Dillmanstown. The business ha 3 a veiy large connection in that district, and it will be sold as a going concern, together with i\\3 atcres, plant, paddockinff, slaughter jarJs, etc, complete. Tho sale offers a most advan tageous opportunity to anyone in search of a first class business of the kind.

The Rev Father O'Hallahan has just communicated to us the contents of a letter received by him from Dr E. II Scott of Reef ton. Thenin the doctor i'xpi esses the deep regret of Mrs Scott and .himself on learning of the sad deith of lVlrJno. MeKeegan of Kumara, who died from injuries received while WO rk login his claim, The doctor also enclosed a cheque for two guineas toward i the Relief Fund, an act of generous tboughfcfulness, and one that has caused much gratification to the public generally, who takea this opportunity of thanking their late doctor for his handsome donation.

The concert to be hekl in the r own Hall

en Wednesday next, 4th proxpiomises to be a great treat. Some of the best local ta'ent ha<* kindly promised to assist. Mr W. Perry is to- be congratulated on securing a splendid programme. The Hokitika band has kindly consented to be present and render somo selections outside before the concert. As the charge is only one shi'liag, a large audience may ba expected.

Mr J. K. Campbell Returning Officer has received the follewing nominations for the five seats on the Hokitika Harbour Board, Messrs J Mandl proposed by W Perry and W Duncan . P Dee. by H L Michel and J Holmes ; J Toomey, by J Holmes and G Perry ; J Holmes, by W Keller and J Satchell; A W Bock, by W E Williams and W McKay ; A Stevenson by A Mahan and J J Clarke. The polling will take place on Monday, Feb 9 th.

Tie cricket mitch between Westport and a local scratch team on Casa Square yesteaday afternoon ended in an easy win for the visitcs by 67 runs. Wetport batted first making 112, to which the local team replied with 45 runs. For Westport Fair (38) and Griffiths (23) batted in fine style, and with Ryan (12) and Mulligan (10) were tho chief scorers Mason (3 wickets lor 11) and Currie (3 for 27) were the best of the local bow.era. The batting of the local eleven was not very stroofj, Sutherland beio^ top scorer with 9. This player was batting very steadily when he was run out. Fair wa3 bowling in tip top form for Westporr, securing 7 wickets for 10 runs. The fielding of the local team was very poor, catch after catch being missed, and as many runs as were made off the bat were lost in the field.

There are 292 tra'nei nurses on the New Zealand official register.

The number of surveyors holding lie censes under tho New Zealand Surveyor's Board is 364.

During the month of December 4188 persons arrived iv the colony, and 1415 took tl.eir departure. The figures for December 1901. are 3307 and 1500 re«. spectively.

It is p r oposed to do something to provide a water supply and a drainage system at Fielding. A. poll of ratepayers is to be taken on a proposal to borrow £46,500, to be expanded as follows; — Water, £27,264; average, £13,236; surface drainage, £6000.

An Exchange states: — Mt Seddoa was reported to have said at Seddonville that he had practically taken over the Land Department. Wbat'Mr Seddon did say was that he had taken over the Lmds for Settlpment section of the department a fact well known to everyone for the last twelve months.

The amount of deposits io the Post Office Savings Bank during the quarter euded 31at December was £1,198,363, aa compared with £1,118.330 for the corresponding period of 19()l. The withdrawals totalled £1,128,064, agaiust £1,061,263, for the same period of the previous! year.

The one hundred and fifty lapwings which were imported from E.igland by the Wellington Acclimitisition Society were reduced on the voyage and after lauding in an emaciated condition to 28, Thesurvivors af tar careful feeding in an aviary were liberated the other day near the Wairarapa Lake, whpra they appear*, ed to take off satisfactorily. The locality is very suitable for lapwings.

A new bank with a capital of £1,000,000 is to ba opened in New York shortly. The po3i of president has been offered to Miss Sirah Dick, cashier of tha Natioual Bank at Hemlington, who was for many years tho only female employed in United Stales banking institutions. A novel feature of the new establishment is that ib will ba managed entirely by womeD, but presumably men will bs allowed to deposit tb/iir savings.

The number of Government telegrams sent during tho quarter ended 31st December was 79,461, and their value (of course they are gnot piid for) is act down at £7373 7s 4d. For the corresponding quarter of the previous year the Government was content with 75,656 telegrams of a stated valfe of £0109 17s si, and even then the annual report of tho Po3t and Telegraph Department made some nasty remarks as to the estsnt of f~hLs part of the work of the Department and the " diffuse and incon~ sequential " nature of some of the mes sage?.

The Post states: The date of the Annual Communication of the Freemasons of New Zealand, to be held in Auckland iv accordance with tne decision of last yest's gathering, has been lately fixed for the sth May. The Grand Lodge is this year making the experiment of paying the travelling expenses to Auckland of delegates from every lodge in New Zealand, and inconsequence there is sure to be the most numerous gathering of representative Freemasons over seen iv the colony. For this reason the installation of the Grand Master which is to take place ou the 6th May, will have to be conducted iv a more spacious building than the Froemisons' Hall, and the Federal Hall, which will accommodate about 800 p r3ons has been engaged for the ceremony though the Freema s ojs' Hall will suffice for the business meet ings of the Communication. Some more than usually important business is to be considered on this occasion, and especially is this so in regard to a proposal made by the Grand Lodge for incorporating a body of trustees to hold property and moneys of the Grand Lodge. If th : s be agreed to by the Communication, a special Act of Parliament will be neces.* sary to make the decision effective.

Not a Minute should bo lost arter a child shows symptonn of choleia infanturn. 'J he first unusual looseness of. the bowels shout Ibe sufficient warning. If immediate and proper treatment ia given serious consequences ill be aveited. Chamberlain a Co'ic, Cholera and Diarrhcei Remedy is the sole reliince of thousands ot mothers and by its aid they hive often saved their children's lives. Vvery household should have a bottle at hand. Get it to-day. It mny save a life. — J Chesney & Co, Whjlesale Agents sell it.

D. M'Brearty, Surgeon Dentist, Chapel street Greymouth. Complete upper and lower fibt £6 (R Nothing but the best of material* kept.— Al>vT.

It is a vory dangerous thing to buy a cheap Vinegar for tible use. Hay ward Bros " Flag Brmud " is a puro and whoio some malt vinegar. Douiand it. — ADvr