PROHIBITION IN AMERICA

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13643, 24 November 1917, Page 5

PROHIBITION IN AMERICA

ITB REMARKABLE GROWTH. LECTURE BY REV. R. B. S.HAMMOND. At the Town Hall, Hamilton, last night, Rev. R. B. S. Hammond, of Sydney, gave an address on ''Some Impressions of Canada and United States from an Australian Viewpoint." There was a large audience, and the lecture was listened to with keen interest and enjoyment, being frequently punctuated by enthusiastic applause. Mr Hammond is x a brilliant and convincing speaker. The chair was occupied by His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. W. Ellis), and there were also on the platform Vcn. Archdeacon Cowie, Cr. Mason, and Mr Worsley. Mr Ellis briefly introduced the lecturer. Mr Hammond, who was received with hearty applause, stated that he had just spent two months in the United States and Canada, and had laid himself out to see all that he could of those wonderful countries. He had been simply amazed at the marvellous growth of Prohibition in America. In Canada 7,500,000 out of 8,000,000 population were "dry." This marvellous result had been brought about by a campaign of education and organisation, and the development of a keen fighting spirit among the workers for the cause. The only province which was not altogether "dry" was Quebec, and even here 1096 municipalities had decided upon Prohibition, and 91 against. The financial prosperity which had followed this great wave of Temperance was remarkable—the money which had formerly been spent Upon alcohol was • now put into patriotic and business enterprise. The moral and social effects were also great, as was shown by the fact that the gaols were emptying. Mr Hammond gave sdme rath or startling figures to prove that Prohibition had been a wonderful success. In Seattle, within three months of the city going "dry" the Bank deposits increased by 1,000,000 dollars, and in six months the population increased by 17,600. There was also an increase of 50 per cent in the building permits, and ' a decrease of 100 per cent in prisoners. If a man got drunk there he was imprisoned for 30 days, and for a second offence he was sent to gaol for 60 days. In the six days that he had spent in Vancouver, Mr Hammond said, he had not seen a sign of alcohol. He had seen success and prosperity coming to 8.000,000 people in Canada, and 35,000,000 in the United States through the operations of Prohibition, and realised that it was worth fighting for in New Zealand. In New South Wales thev had a State debt of about £loo,ooo* 000. In KansaSj U.S.A., which was about the same size, and which had been "dry" for many years, he found thai they had no State debt, the Governor stating that this happy result was due to Prohibition. Labourers were well paid, bricklayers getting 28s per day. No fewer than 25,000 men from that State were in camp for three months, and not »;ue man had been before the Commanding Officer for drunkenness. In Ottawa the greatest Anglican Convention ever held in the country voted for Dominionwide Prohibition, and as he listened to the addresses of the High Church dignitaries'he felt, proud to De an Anglican minister. In the province of Washington 275 State Banks had increased their deposits by nearly 19,000,000 since the province went "dry." If the big cities of America could make Prohibition work, surely they could do so in New Zealand. For the sake of the boys coming home, the evil should I>e rooted ont. Mr Hammond stated that 200,000 American soldiers had crossed the ocean. They had been sent direct to France because, coming from a "dry" country, the authorities would not send them to England to face the temptations of alcohol in that land. \ Canada had not paid one cent to get rid of The trade had no clium to compensation, because it had fattened upon the degradation of the people. The lecturer hoped that if the Government ever dared suggest tlfat the trade be compensated, the people would rise up and demaand the money be spent to compensate the brave and noble men who had so gloriously secrificed their all on the battlefield. (Enthusiastic applause.) The people who remained at home in safety should live and work to make the soldiers' sacrifice worth while. They should clean up their beautiful land as the men were cleaning up things at the front. He was not a fanatic—he had seen for himself the success of Prohibition in America, and would like to influence them to put all their energies into the campaign, so that the same happy conditions may -reign in New Zealand. They should not be satisfied with 6 o'clock closing, but should # demand Dominion Prohibition, not as a concession, but as the only right and resonable thing. It would be a glorious thing if the men came home from active service to find that the alcohol evil had \ been driven out of "God's Own Country." (Loud Applause.) On the. motion of Mr Mason, the lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his inspiring address. In replying, Mr Hammond stated that if he had convinced them in any way. or had incited them to enthusiasm | in the cause of Temperance he was a thousand times repaid for his visit to Hamilton. A vote of thanks to the Mayor, and the singing of the National Anthem brought a successful and enthusiastic meeting to a close.