The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, AUGUST 13. 1916. VOTING ON EARLY CLOSING.

White Ribbon, Volume 22, Issue 254, 18 August 1916, Page 9

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, AUGUST 13. 1916. VOTING ON EARLY CLOSING.

\\* print below the division lists on closing n«>tel bars at 8 p.m. and al 9 p.m. We hope all temperance women w ill ponder it well, cut it out, and pin it up for reference. Deep indignation has been expressed at the action of the Government in refusing this reform. But, as voters, we have only ourselves to blame. We put these members in. Can electorates which are represented by brewers exp* ct to get temperance legislation ? Can a brewer who is a Cabinet Minister give an unbiassed vote on early closing ? Will not the loss to his brewery piofits blind him to the yain in economy and efficiency to the nation?

Over ico,ooo electors petitioned for this reform All Protestant churches held meetings and sent resolutions in its favour. The Committee of the

House to whom the petition was refei red brought in a recommcndat.on in its favour. The King and Lord Kit chener, Bishop and Statesman, Admiral and General, have all asked tor restriction of the liquor traffic in the interests of national defen- e. And yet, in spite of all, the National Gov ernment turned down even such a very moderate reform as nine OYIOI k closing. In favour of eight o’clock closing only one Minister voted -Hon. Manan (a very honourable ex eption). Three Ministers voted for nine o’clock closing—Hons. Allen, llanan, and McXab. Burke said: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” Last election temperance men and women were so engaged with war woik that they did nothing, or very little, at refc m work. Behold the result ! A House which refuses the distinct wish of the Dominion for any curtailment of the* hours for the sale of liquor. It is no use talking reform and then voting for men who will vote at the bidding of “the* trade.” The National Government cares nothing for your blame if you will only vote for it. Members of Parliament can stand any amount of censure if you will still vote for them. Members voted for daylight saving against the expressed wish of ihe Government, because* they believed it would make for national e< onomy. Why did they not vote for early c los ing, which would be a much greater economy? Why did one of the* Ministers speak as if he held a brief for the publican ? The re ason is not far to seek! Electors! if all who signed the petition resolve that their votes shall go with their signature, that no man who opposed early closing shall get a vote again, then those one hundred thousand electors, standing shoulder to shoulder, can consign every opponent of reform to the seclusion of private life at next election. Mothers! will you vote for a i%m who puts the vested interest of the liquor trade before your vested inte rest in your boy? It is boys or beer; daughters or dollars. Which will you vote for? Study this list carefully, and keep it for reference at next election.

Agst. 8 o’clock. For 8 o'clock. Allen Anderson Bollard Anstey Brown lluddo Buick Craigie Coates Dickson, J. M. Colvin Fll Dickie !■ icld, 1 • A. H. Dickson, J. S. Hanun Field, W. H. Harris Fletcher Hindmarsh Forbes Hornsby Fraser Hunter (ilover lsitt Guthrie McCombs llenare M.rnder iierdmnn Newman, Dr. Hcrries Newman, t. Hudson Ngata Jennings Okcy McCallum Pearce MacDonald Poland McNab l’oole Massey Sykes Myers Talbot Noswortby Thomson Pa rata Walker Payne Wilkinson Pomare Wright Rhodes, R. H. Young Rhodes, T. \Y. Russell Scott Sidey Smith /St at ham Stewart Thacker Veitch Ward Webb W ilford Witty Agstqo’clock. tor 9 o’clock. Bollard Allen Brown Anderson Buick Anstey Coates Buddo Colvin Craigie Dickie Dickson (Chaimers) Dickson (Parnell) Ell Field, W . H. Field, T. A. Fletcher Forbes Fraser Hanan (ilover Harris Guthrie Hindmarsh Henare Hornsby Herdm.in Hunter Herries Hudson Jennings lsitt McCallum McCombs MacDonald McNab Massey Mander

Mvers Newman, Dr. Nosworthy Newman, E. H. Parata Ngata Payne Okey Pomare Pearce Rhodes, T. VV. Poland Rhodes, R. 11. Poole Russell Sidey Scott Sykes Smith Talbot Stathani Thomson Stewart Walktr Thacker Wilford Veitch Wilkinson Ward Wright Webb Young Witty