A BLOW TO TEETOTALLERS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 662, 6 November 1902, Page 21

A BLOW TO TEETOTALLERS.

Port Sunlight, on the Mersey, one of the “ Garden cities ” which served as- a model in the speeches delivered off anti-liquor platforms, has surprised the teetotallers by voting for the establishment of a trust public-house/ in the village. At the meeting .of the National Association of Offeial Temy cr.ance Advocates, which was held at Port Sunlight since the vote in question was taken, one of their number, Mr W. E. Moss, of Blackburn, made a special point of investigating the facts connected with , this change, and he reports them .as follows : —There is already a refreshment house in the village, called the Bridge Inn, at) present without a license to sell intoxicating drink. It is this inn which it it now proposed to convert into a trust public-house. From the Rev, Gamble Walker, who conducts the religious mission there, Mr Moss learned that the present

tenancy of the Bridge Inn ceased in September. The Public-house Trust Company which had been formed in Liverpool, w.ait--1 ed upon Mr W. H. Lever, -whose firm has created the village, with a view to taking over the house for the sale of strong drink. Mr Lever’s attitude was this :—lf the people wanted a licensed house, they , must have it, but he would not give his consent unless a majority of three-fourths of the householders were in favour of it. A meeting was called, and a deputation from the Trust Company explained the scheme. A poll followed a few days later, and the result of the ballot was as follows :—Number of householders, 627 ; acy tual Voters, 599 ; for the license, 472 ; against the license, 120 ; spoiled papers, V : majority for license, 352. Mr Moss sum up his observations in these words : —“The people in Port Sunlight /have

gardens, open spaces, breathing room, educational advantages, good employers ; but they ask for strong drink. The moral is plain. Band of Hope work must become more educational.” —(“ Scotsman.”)