THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1900. '

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 21, 19 July 1900, Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1900. '

It is rumoured that the Liquor Licensing Laws are to be the subject of change by the present sitting of Parliament. The subject will be introduced by the question of granting licenses in the King Country, a proposal that the Government are now said to be in sympathy with, not that it may inju»e the Maories, but that it shall supply all tho-require-ments usually demanded by ! civilised society, for the comfort of .travellers* The Temperance Hotels have had a sufficiently long, reign in many places to prove how,

hopelessly uncomfortable they are. They have come to b« regarded as synonymous with incivility, want of attention and general discomfort. Even in cities, in competition with hotels, tha public total-abstenance boarding houies are absolutely shunned by a large number of total abstainers, the possible discomforts ,of a well-conducted hotel being preferred to the apathetic waiters, the cold meals, bleak rooms and cheerless fires of the so-called Temperance Hotel. We do not know if it is the fault of the management, or the necessity of rigid economy that must bo exercised in these establishments, but there is generally a dusty, unclean look about them that is not attractive to the weary traveller. "We know there are exceptions, but the general public feeling is one of dissatisfaciton with accommodation houses run on strict prohibition principles. Admitting that there may ba strong reasons why decent hostelries should be at the service of the well-to-do tourists, who are yearly increasing in numbers in this most interesting part of New Zealand, it is certainly not to be desired that the Maoris should be made to suffer. "Already, in Oamaru, the member of the Upper House has been waited on to protest against the proposed amendment of the laws, and throughout New Zealand Temperance societies are waking to gr«at activity in opposition to the measure. We are not at all astonished at this. It would be unreasonable and illogical for societies that are trying to dispense altogether with the sale of liquor in communities habituated to its use to stand calmly by and see its introduction proposed among natives not acclimatised to it, and who may be supposed to be less in need of stimulants than those born under and brought up under a more liberal regime. It is a matter for" regret indeed, that alcohol should be brought within easy reach of the Maoris in the King Country, though it must be admitted that in our own locality the Maoris are quite models of temperance, even compared with Europeans. Still that may b« due to local ci re vimstances, and if the liquor traffic becomes a curse to the Maoris in a land where they don't want it, the blame will rest on the Government and this Parliament. ! Should it be determined on, it will be the bounden duty of every member of Parliament, ba he | Prohibitionist or Moderate, to hedge round the sale of alcoholic stimulants in the King Country with every possible precaution. A far stronger cas» in favour of Prohibition can be made out in the particular instance under notice than in most European I cases. We hope to see th© Government made to prove their case to [ the hilt, and we trust that our ' O'vn representative will take his j share of responsibility in making them do so. If this is done to the satisfaction of the House, the Enabling Bill should restrict the sale of liquor among the Maoris in everj possible manner, so that it may not become an opprobrium to ourselves and future generations. It is also suggested that Colonial Option and a vote every run© years -will be the basis of fresh legislation. With the latter part of this proposal vre are in hearty accord. The triennial vote at the General Election perpetually introduces a fresh scent across th« path, and disturbs the politics of the country,, and leads to results j which, in many cases, ar© not dttexininefd by th© -vot^s of majorittss on the large political questions of v the -day.. TMs sys-

tern doss not please, nor is it altogether fair to th© holders of hotel licenses, nor does it satisfy the genorai bulk of the population who are Moderates. It merely gratifies the prohibition party — numerically in some communi ties quite insignificant — for every three years by sinking their, interest in the good of the country as a whole, and magnifying hugely the importance of their own 1 crusade against one particnlar form of over-indulgence they twist the objects of the whole election out of its proper groove* and, which is just as bad, they sot politicians hedging and trimming, and sitting on a rail, and generally force thsm to be-untme to their real faults and beliefs. The country is thoroughly sick of the turmoil and annoyance caused by the three yearly noise and agitation of the liquor qnestion. It is no use trying to make calm intelligent men and women believe that it is a hydra-headed monster rearing itupJf in our midst, threatening to engulph the whole population in a ghastly maelstrom. New Zealand, as a people, are extremely sober, and yearly th© statistics show diminished consumption of alcohol and diminished crime. All honour to them for that I But it is useless and unwise to force the position at the point of the bayonet, »■ the Prohibitionists would do, if natural measures can be absolutely proved to be tending in the right direction. Of Colonial Option w# have not Bpace in this arcticie^o deal, but we believe the opinion of the country will support the Government in relieving the Licensed Yictuallors"and the general public of the too frequent upheaval in quiet sober localities caused by the persistent agitation and exaggeration of this quoslion — important as we frankly admit it to be.