Candid Comments

White Ribbon, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1 October 1957, Page 5

Candid Comments

By Citizen

"While man slept, the enemy lowed tan The Christian Church in this country has been sleeping on the Enchanted Ground over the drink issue foi far too long. True, are do gel some strong pronouncements against liquor by some leaders and members, but the rark and file are comfortably dozing. As a result, the tares have been ripening and their fruits are being seen in tions to bring in late closing withoul a referendum. ■ II wines in restaurants and grocery stores, and e\cn to eliminate the licensing poll altogether A visitor from another planet, who heard the awful rou;;> of drinking alcoholic liquors with their resultant crime, accident and alcoholism and who • Torts being made to increase this ghastly toll, would indeed think he had come to •a/.v World A prominent Temperance worker thev United States has stated that a big wave entiment tor Prohibition will come when every family has a relative an alcoholic. If the proposals of the Liquor Trade are realised, this time will not he far distant in New Zealand, Ml the amount of suffering involved before this big wave conies. appals u^

The officials of the N.Z. Federation of Labour, particularly Mr F. P. WaUh, on his plain speaking regarding the dangers of late closing and its effect on family life, and the huge profits made by the Drink Trade monopoly, are to he congratulated.

It has been surprising to discover that, for 4'' years, Parliament has been observing sessional drinking hours that were not legal. The bars at Bellamy's will no longer be open after 10 p.m on week days and on Sundays. A weekly newspaper article recently pointed this out. and it was found that Parliament had been breaking its own laws It would seem to us. that, after 10 p.m. when physical tiredness is normally felt, is just the time that the bram should be kept clear

A case was reported in a South Island paper of a U-year-old boy, who had drunk alxnit a bottle of whisky and two of b< er, being found partly unconscious on the footpath outside his home. He was taken to hospital There was also a case we heard of where a 14 year-old asked for help to overcome his craving for liquor, and in Wellington a prohibition order has just been issued against a 17 <*ar-old boy. The recommendation of the Parlian entary Select Committee would make it still easier for young people to obtain liquor with similar deplorable results.

So much has been heard of the demand by tourists for liquor as an .'xcuse for further Jelling facilities, that it was interesting to learn the real truth from a liquor trader, Sir Ernest Davis He spoke of 14 American tourists from the Nfariposa, who were content with -Id water with their meals and said that the average tourist did not spend (uch. We have encountered- plenty.of tourists in our travels, who Nay they prefer private hotels as they do not like the atmosphere created by liquor. a a * * Some staggering figures have come to hand In 1956 Britain spent the staggering sum of £906

million on drink. Over 50 million gallons of beer were brewed" in X 7. , an increase of two million on the previous year. Betting 'Mi the totalisator in N.Z. amounted to £44s million, an increase of nearly half a million on the previous year Australians spent the tremendous sum of £204 million on gambling on the totalisator and in lotteries. What a harvest of sin and shame is behind these figuresl ♦ * * * In view of son.* objections in this country to blood tests for drunkenness, it is of intti-st to note that both N'orway and Sweden gave their police the power to take blood tts.s. A motorist who shows .5 per cent alcohol in the blood could be sent to gaol for 20 days and have his licence cancelled for or; year. A Public Petitions' Committe of Parliament recommendeJ "most favourable consideration" of a petition signed by many Cpper Hutt people seeking heavier penalties for drunken driving. I In 1953, drunken drivers were involved in 116 accidents, involving 15 deaths. In 1954 there were 130 and 21. Tn 1955 145 and 25, and in 1956 143 and ji) We need tightening up of the law, as in Norwav and Sweden