THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13890, 16 October 1918, Page 7

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC

ADDRESS BY MR. J. SIMPSON. Despite the unpropitious weather, liif Hamilton Town Hall was well filled on .Monday, when -Mr .lames Simpson, the Canadian Labour leader, gave an address on "Stale Control of the Liquor Traffic." His Worship the Mayor, Mr .1. 11. Fow, presided. The proceedings opened with the singing of the National Anthem. In introducing the lecturer, the chairman paid a tribute to the part played by Canada in the present war. and also in that oilier great light—against the Liquor Traffic. Accustomed to tlghl againsl Ihe rigours of Nature, the people hail become hardy and self-reliant, and were leading the way in social reform. Tiny had swept aside some things which New /inlanders still tolerated, and their attitude towards strong drink should be an inspiration to the ] pie here. Mr Simpson, who was warmly greeted, said it was very gratifying In receive such a welcome. The Canadian delegates considered it a great privilege to visit the Dominion and meet the people, and the hospitality extended to them everywhere was much appreciated. in Northern America it had been realised for many years that New Zealand was in the forefront along certain definite lines of legislation. They now hoped it would follow Canada's lead in regard to the drink traffic. There had been the most remarkable progress in temperance reform in America during the past live years, and the time was rapidly approaching when the whole of Canada and the United States, with 113,000,000 of people, wfuld ne "dry." The Federal Government hail enacted that no liquor should be manufactured after April of this year, and had ordered that no newspaper should publish liquor advertisements in its pages. The United States had acted in the same way, and had made it part, of the Constituion that liquor should be prohibited after July 1 id' next year, breweries to be closed ;'n December next.

The United States had done a commendable tiling, having accepted the word of the medical fraternity that alcohol was a menace to the lighting men, and had organised the military camps on the basis of "no alcohol," and no rum or other intoxicating ration.

Mr Simpson dealt at some length with the economic aspect of the question. Many people said that the carrying of prohibition would paralyse industry, create unemployment, cause money to be idle and hotel accommodation to deteriorate, and detrimentally affect the whole economic system. This had proved a great fallacy. The whole weight of evidence in Canada and the United States was that prohibition had been a success beyond their wildest hopes. Greater efficiency and production followed, as was evidenced in the great shipbuilding yards. The working men were doing more work with greater ease and with less drain upon their resources. The closed .Oit-'eries and distilleries had been converted into factories, employing many more hands than formerly. Hotel accommodation had improved, this bring the testimony of the secretary of the Commercial Travellers' Association, amongst others. The gaols, too, wCre emptying, one-third of them having to be closed owing to the decrease of prisoners. People had seen the hideousness or the traffic, and realised that prohibition was necessary for national and individual growth. Economically, every man realised that money spent on liquor was wasted. Wages shou'.d be spent on useful commodities and not for alcoholic liquor. Mr Simpson stated that State control had proved a failure in Canada, and claimed that a Government which took control of such a traffic would be decidedly undemocratic. The Education Department had thought it necessary to teach its scholars the effects of alcohol on the body and the mind. Would any Government be sensible or reasonable if, while acknowledging the importance of teaching the children scientific knowledge of this kind, it would undertake also the manufacture and sale of a commodity which wis shown to have such an effect on the minds of school children? The Health Department was endeavouring to improve the environment, so that the health of the people » might oe safeguarded. If the tendency of the Government is to educate people to preventive, instead of curative, methods, and among them abstention from the use of alcohol, would any sane citizen say that the State should undertake the manufacture and sale of a commodity which its health officers were advising people to abstain from in the interests of their health. The responsibility of the Department of Justice was to minimise crime. Official statistics showed that 10,000 convictions for drunkenness were recorded in New Zealand in I'JIC, while about 2000 prohibition orders were issued in the same year. When to this were added the cases of assault and indecent language, it would be seen that the liquor truflle had an important part in the criminal records of the Dominion. Further, he found that the liquor trade contributed very materially to the number of divorce cases that came before our GoirtS. Was it wise that the Government consider the manufacture and sale of such an article which brought about so much of the crime of the nation? Sir Hubert Stout, the Chief Justice, had recently said that if every district was as clear from crime as was Masterton (a no-license centre), only one gaol would be needed for the whole of New Zealand. With this and other evidence, would the Government come forward and take control of such a trade'? Take also the effect of alcohol upon industrial efficiency. In the United States and Canada 'JS per cent, of the transportation companies, 88 per cent, of the skilled trades, 7'J per cent, of the manufacturers of all commodities, 72 jier cent, of the agriculturists, and i">6 per cent, of the mining employers, made it a rule to inquire as to the extent of a man's indulgence in liquor before engaging him. So that a State Department that produced and sold liquor would be offering a commodity which was found to be prejudicial to industry. As to the question of insurance, statistics proved that the consumption of alcoholic liquor shortened life by it per cent. At 30 years of af»; total abstainers could expect to live for a further 38.S years, and a drinker for 35 years. At -i0 years of ace a total abstainer could expect to live for 30.3 years longer, and a drinker for 27.3 veai'S.

Mr Simpson, in closing, stated that although he was against the payment of compensation to the trade, it was better and cheaper to pay the £4,500,000 suggested and close the hotels immediately than to allow them to remain open for a further four years, as under the present law, with all the attendant loss in money, and havoc in ruined lives. At the poll there should lie preferential voting on the four issues submitted. Now that the workers had brought forward a fourth issue, prohibition without compensation, which w:is receiving much support, he thought the Liquor Party s

were feeling rather sorry that they had not "let well alone," and accepted tlu; Efficiency Board's recommendations for compensation. When the liquor traffic disappeared, the money spent upon it would he divided into more legitimate channels. Every dollar invested in the trade was a misdirection of capital and industry. The traffic was an enemy to every Department of the liovernment. Mr Simpson closed a forcible address with an urgent appeal to those present to do their duty, and witli an inspiring vision of the country under prohibition, lie resumed his seat amidst loud ami prolonged applause. on the motion of Mr (iillies, president of the Hamilton Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters ami .loin<Ts, seconded by Mr Bradley, the lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his interesting address.