A CHAT ON PROHIBITION BY A MODERATE MAN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11709, 8 November 1905, Page 6

A CHAT ON PROHIBITION BY A MODERATE MAN.

What, in just the- object of Prohibition? It is to prevent the consumption of liquor, ' or is it just intended to close the hotel bar without n'ny regard as to whether the consumption .of liquor, is diminished or not? i It is to -prevent or diminish' the consumption of liquor, you say,-- "Very well. Let. us inquire, into th§'fact& 4 As 'the law now stands -every man arifl^ woman -in* a^ No-Hc2iiso district has the r^TrV to" bring into that No-license district oii^ q?iart of wine or spirits or one galleCnf 1 of*'fcbfei? -every day. Do you honestly thirik" M tfMtier those conditions the consumption 'df liquor in the- Wanganui electorate- would be deminished? ' • Well, you say, it would be so difficult fo ( got it that very few would ■ hothjer about it. Now we will assume, for the sak? of argument, that it would be difficult to got. Did you ever know of anything that was very difficult to got" that was not very much Sought'a'fter? It is just tjhose difficulties which intensify, tlie desire to havo it. • What mstkes a .good' diamond so very 'valuable?' Its brilliant, flashings?' "No; only the great difficultyin obtaining thejn. Ifc you could v go ■ and gather handfuls off tlie road would you value them, even though they flashed as •brilliantly as evor?- Certainly • not. Make anything difficult' to got and everybody at once values it and wants it. So you see, as a logical sequence,- the more difficulties you place in the way of people obtaining, liquor the more you are going to make them want it." But' if No-lieen&2 were carried in Wanganui woitld yoxi, in actual fact, be placing any very ' serious difficulties in the way of anyone obtaining liquor who- wanted it? Just sufficient to make" them want, but not enough to in any "way bar them from having it. It • may give* them' some little trouble certainly, but what of that I .' Now the boundary of the Wanganui 'Electoral District is just this side of Kennedy's — about*, six miles, roughly," front* the- Town Bridge and on a good level .^road.- A. depot coiild very easily b» established "just outside the electoral boundary from which any qiiantity of Jiquor could easily, .be brought into Wangariui: And the law would permit it. Does this all point to a diminishing of the, quantity consumed? • Well-, anyway, you now argue, ii we' .closed .the" hotel bars we , would prevent young men 'congregating and drinking together. Would Prohibition do this So, you think? In a No-license district a dozen young, fellows cotild band themselves toaether as a private club." "A" would get in liis gallon of beer. "B[' his whiskey, tI C" his.stotrt; and!' so bn. - They would meet -in the' evenings' 'and go as you please. There" would/ be liquor without any. restraint, £ny ''hours' they chose, and no police supervision of any sort. By passing' Prohibition you "I*ll them they shall 'riot liaVe it at -th«S public bai'S, and you will make if more difficult for them to get. They will 'get it -just the same, probably a .gdod deal more, and. under infinitely worse conditions from your point- of 'view. Difficulty in getting small "club" room? None, at .all. There are plenty" of rooms to be got in. Wanganui "very cheaply — just the places for these little private clubs.; Thay would be fitted up. .w^th. , "locker's," and each member would have' a key to go in and. Mit day or night jas ;he pleased. He could drink when he liked and what he , liked, and take his friends too. Just ponder over, these facts carefully, my friend. They, "are- facts-^ust faqts. and the Prohibition 'peapte, . leave them carefully along. . Naturally.' too, because they are only tolling one side of the story. Before you record voiir vote for No-Yieensa iust Weigh it all over carefully; aiid see if.. you are clearly of opinion that Prohibition will do all that its! advocates claim for it • It, is a. most serious undertaking, but perhaps you may not have realised iust how teribna. «P,ut.the case the othef way round.. It is, only fair to look at a proposition from. all points. Now- to put, if in its most favourable .light, «ff tn«s problematical advantages of Prohibition w6iild you -be. prepared -to sacrifice the hulk of- your property? Would you honestly?'. W:ellV then, do you -think .it fan to lirinir". a' big- financial loss on some other peopled Hhat. is exactly-, what you are dotofr or attempting in voting No-bcense. Tf-Yo\i.wci©satßolutely certain beyond any dotfbt whatever -that al,l th* would accrue under, Prolubition that ; its advocates claim, .tlwn even it would b<? a serious, enough matter to rum people for it, Biit we have said .-enough to show, at least, how: doubtful the advantages will-, h" and in all fairness you. should hesitate and weigh carefully aH considerations and results before voting No-hcense. ,