DUNEDIN CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 33, 15 May 1891, Page 20

DUNEDIN CATHOLIC LITERARY SOCIETY.

Tbe weekly meeting of the Dv ielia Catholic Literary Society was held on Wednesday last; the Rev. Ftther Lynch was in the chair and about thirty members ware present. Mr. D. W. Woji-t was propoiei as an honorary member and Messrs T. and J. Buckley as working members. The debate which h >d Heen adj jurned f om the previous meeting was then commenced, the majority of the speakers seeming to be in favour of prohibition. The following gentlemen spoks on the affirmative side : Messrs. Falkner, Hally, Eager, Lynch, Miller, Miscall, and Dunne, and on the negative, Messrs J. Eager, J. J. Dunne and Griff en. The principal arguments of the moderate party were that tbe introduction of prohibition would cause a serioas diminution in the revenue, and put a lot of people out of employment. Referring to illicit distillation, it was stated that there was no country in the world so suitable to the production of illicit drink as New Zealand, and that there were many country places where you could get whisky on which duty had never been paid — and if that was so now, what would it be when it could be got no other way. It would also be a great injustice to close a hotel after a man had gone to the expense of putting up a good building, on the understanding that he was to have a license. One member suggested that if the system in vogue in Sweden was alopted it would work better. The hotels there are worked by the Government and are " few and far between," and no one can get more th in one driak at a t me, nor can he treat a friend. It was asked on the other side that if drink was not injurious, why was it necessary to have a license to sell it. There was good medical authority that, while rousing the physical elements of the body, alcohol dulled the mental faculties an 1 saoitenei life. The fallingoff in the revenue would be counter-balanced by having to keep up fewer gaols, asjlnms, polic men, J.P.s, etc. (as one member remarked, we could do very well without a number of thesa latter gentlemen). If those engaged in the liquour trade were to devote their energies to the production of the necessaries of life, they would be placed more within the reach of everybody, and so benefit the country. The general opinion was that the hotelkeepers did not deserve compensation, as they had their buildings erected with the full knowledge that their licenses might be taken away from them at any time, and it was their look-out if they were. One member said he had good reason to b lieve that the majority of hotelkeepers in Dunedin were breweis' dummies, put in on a salary. Mr. McCurdy, a member of the Anderson's Bay Debating Society, who was present, also made a short speech. He was of opinion that drink should be done away with, although he might not agree with the method proposed by the prohibitionists, and considered that, even if the revenue was lessened, the community would be amply repaid by the better lives of its citizens when they had tois temptation removed from their way. All tbe members not having spoken, it was decided, on the motion of Messrs. Haughton and English, to still further adjourn the debate till Wednesday, 13 h inst.