THE EDITOR AND THE IMP.

White Ribbon, Volume 41, Issue 490, 18 July 1936, Page 5

THE EDITOR AND THE IMP.

“At last, my dear Editor, you come to work, and. my word, there’s a mail for you here! I've opened it all ready. “Well, you’re an imp to pry into my mail. But why all this excitement?” “You know lately how there has l>een much talk about young people drinking. and especially about drinking at dances." “Quite right, my little man. Much has been said on this subject but much more remains unsaid, and most ot all, restrictive measures are l«*ft undone.’’ "Anyhow, there’s plenty said in your mail. It is literally raining newspi per clippings.’’ "(V>me along, let un have a look at them.” “I'll start at the North, and the Auckland Branch of the Farmers’ I'nion passed this remit, moved by Bay of Islands, seconded from Cambridge:— “ ‘That as drinking at public dances is f ast becoming a serious social evil, the Government be urged to adopt measures that will prevent irv.oxieating drink being used at suc h dances.’ “That’s good as tar- as it goes, but why always call upon the Government/ Why not do something themselves? But I’m very pleased to note that the farmers consider it within their province. because a.-- one said. 'We are concerned with the welfare of the rising generation.’ ” “1 note, too. that a Vice-President spoke of this as a ..erious and growing evil, and one which is demoralising our young people.” “Now. my dear Editor, look at this. The different Hall Committees in the Thames Valley District attended a meeting at Te Aroha to discuss ways and means of ensuring letter conduct of country dances in future. As the press was excluded from their deliberations, we cannot give particulars of them.” “But, my Imp, it’s good to know folk are waking up to this deadly menace to our national life,”

“Here’s another Auckland clipping, my Chief. al»oiit what happens to these young people after they leave the dance.” “You read it to me while I clean this typewriter ready for action.” “It sa>s that a young woman of 22 tried to throw herself over Grafton Bridge at 3 o’clock in the morning. She was rescued hy a taxi driver, who. after a struggle with her, took her to the Auckland hospital.” “Was she very badly hurt?” “No. she w&s up at Court the next morning, charged with attempting to commit suicide. She told the Judge she had been to a ball in the city with an escort. She had had some liquor, but was perfectly sober, hut her escort liecume intoxicated, and so she decided to go home alone.” “Poor girl! Evidently she does not know that no one is perfectly sober after taking alcohol.” “Is that a fact, Chief, or are you stretching a point?” “Not much! A leading nerve expert says: ‘lf a person takes a tablespoonful of alcohol, he is drunk to the extent of a tablespoonful, until his body has expelled the poison.’ Hut get along with your story.” “The Magistrate told her that he could send her to prison for 12 months for her offence. She promised him she would not do anything like that again. The Magistrate said he did not w’ish to enter a conviction, but she really should give up taking intoxicating liquor. She said everybody else seemed to drink at dances, and the Magistrate said that might be so, but ‘you don’t want to be like a lot of sheep and do what everyone else does.’ ” “You’ve hit the mark! They want to l >e like other people, my Imp. So few young folk dare to I*' Daniels and to stand alone.” “Here’s another one from Lower Hutt. Don’t you belong to the Horticultural Society there?” “No. I don’t, but my hubby does. Why?' “Well, there have been so many complaints about disgraceful conduct outside the hall that the Borough Council were considering it. You read it yourself.” “I see here that complaints were lodged before, and the Committee undertook to issue no passes for people to go out.” "How does that help matters?” "Because the drink is generally in motor cars outside the hall, and they go out and drink, and then go back to the dance. While the Committee enforced this rule and refused to allow them to return, there were no complaints. and the dances wen' quiet and well conducted.” “Then why did they not stick to the ruler* “The dances became unpopular, and so once again passes were issued, and complaints of conduct were made.”

"What do you think is the remedy, my lady?” “I’ll tell you what the brewers in C.S.A. think about young people drinking.” "What do they think about it?” "t’.S.A. had Prohibition for 15 years, and in that time young people learnt t»> love soft drinks, and now they don't want lieer.’’ “Don't brewers think Prohibition was a failure?” “Evidently it was from their point of view, because it educated young people to do without beer.” “I read lately in a book that all the planets had their universities except the earth, and the planet Earth is the “lunatic asylum of the universe.” “(Jo on! You don’t believe that, surely. Do you?” “Certainly I was indignant at first, and then 1 began to reflect.” “What was the result?” ”lk>n’t you think a people who speak of drinking alcohol as a menace to our rising population; who allow the Coroner at an inquest to return a verdict of ‘died from alcoholic poisoning*; who take his driving license away from a motorist who dri\es after drinking liquor, and then for a fee of £-40 a year allows a man to sell this poison, isn’t this certainly a form of insanity?” “It is undoubtedly not sane thinking.” “We must get to work, but here’s hoping that the many societies who regret that young people are drinking will suddenly awake to the fact that they have the power in their vote to abolish the sale of this poison.’’ “In which hope I heartily join. I’m off to collect more news. (Jood-bye!”