THE APATHETIC VOTER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1163, 25 July 1912, Page 21

THE APATHETIC VOTER.

The majority of the people of New Zealand were no more in favoui' of No-license than were the people of Australia (remarked Mr E. Nordon, secretary of the Canterbury L.V.A., in the course of an address on the other side). The trouble was the apathetic voter, who didn’t care, till it was too late, and his liberty was lost. They should wake that man up. He didn’t know what proportion of that class of .men there was here, but he knew that there were more than there should be. If they did wake them up and got them to the poll, th§. great bulk of those votes would be on the side of liberty. In New Zealand his party had gone thoroughly into the question of organisation, and if they cared to send someone over there for a couple of. weeks before next election he (Mr Nordon) -would be only too pleased tc have him as his guest.

Mr J. Fairbairn, proprietor of the Occidental Hotel, Wellington, and Mrs Fairbairn, left by the Atua last week on a trip to the Islands. sjs :? flIt is a significant fact that the countries and nations that have the severest and most stringent laws of prohibitive character have a far greater amount of drunkenness proportionately, than have the countries that attempt not to hedge men with narrow restrictions. “The least law is the best: law” would seem to apply here, where statistics show that Germany, Denmark, and Belgium, which throw no restrictions in the way of men, possess a far more sober population, dishonoured by a far less percentage of drunkenness, than England, Sweden, and, increasingly, the United States, which has been passing law upon law to prevent men from drinking.—Rabbi Hirschberg, Milwaukee. * * * * The little three-year-old daughter of Mr. W. Dennerly, proprietor of the Pacific Hotel, Thames, had a miraculous escape from a terrible death the other day. She attempted to cross the rails just as the train was coming. There was a shriek of horror as the cow-catcher struck the child,

but fortunately it ‘tossed the little one clear of the rails. The child was knocked into the mud, and beyond a few bruises, was none the worse for her perilous adventure. The engine was pulled up . almost within its own length. * * J: * At a recent banquet of the Pennsylvania (U.S.A.). State Hotel Association, former Attorney-General W. U. Hensel, said:. “The character of the hotel depends upon the character of the man who conducts it.” In other words, a man of character petitions the court to run a hote and, if granted the license, the place soon reflects the character of the man in charge. In like manner the man is “it” —not the building.'

The New Zealand-bred Gunboat re•cently shipped to India has arrived at his destination in good health. Gunboat is a gelding and should be good for several seasons. The withdrawal of Okaihau from the C.J.C. Grand National Steeplechase would evidently mean that all is not well with the son of Salvadan. The fine looking colt Antiphone is going along the right way under P. Jones’ care at Ellerslie. E. J. Rae has taken La Reina and Tui Cakobau on to Riccarton. La Reina was bodly left at the post at Wellington in her only race, while Tui Cakobau did not sport silk.