NO-LICENSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2271, 17 August 1908, Page 3

NO-LICENSE.

ADDRESS BY REV. THOMAS FEE

There was only a moderate attendance at His Alajesty’s Theatre last night to hear an address on No-license bv the , Rev. Thomas Fee, of Auckland, who arrived by the s.s. Alonowai yesterday afternoon to give a, senes of lectures in connection with the movement in Gisborne. Air. Fee is a bright and entertaining speaker, with a racy luimor, and an apparently inexhaustible fund, of humorous anecdotes, and his remarks were heartily applauded. Air. Andrew Graham occupied the chair, and the Rev. C. Griffin was also on the platform. The Rev. Air. Fee, who was introduced in a short speech by tho chairman, was greeted with loud itnnluusc. lie said that he was delighted that his first apearance in Gisborne should he connected with no-license, which was now not confined to the Dominion but was a world-wjde movement. They were engaged in fighting a traffic for which no single good word could be said, and which was more infamous, degrading, and damning than the slave trade had ever been. These facts were fairly generally conceded, and lie had heard many speaking against no-license, but lie had yet to hear the man who got up to advocate the claims of the liquor party. Ho asked, and had asked repeatedly on previous occasions, what single good purpose was served by tlie liquor traffic? He intended to confine his remarks chiefly to the Ashburton electorate, and claimed to know intimately the conditions existing there both prior and subsequent to the carrying of no-license. The speaker then proceeded to read the evidence of several prominent business people and others, and also newspaper articles, dealing with the question, and he claimed that they were unbiassed evidence, as they hail been said and written by those who, prior to tho carrying of no-license, had been opposed to the movement, but who now were unanimous in the opinion that it had been a great success. Some interesting figures were read by Air. Fee regarding the convictions for drunkenness in the Ashburton electorate for some years prior to the carrying of no-license and also those recorded since, showing a most marked decrease. The trade, continued Mr Fee, had contended that no-lieense in Ashburton bad been a dismal failure, but in view of tlio personal knowledge ho had ,anil also of the statements which had been made by many prominent people, be bad no hesitation in saying that, notwithstanding, it went for the betterment of the people and that it had been a splendid success. He would venture to say that they could do with such a “failure” in- Gisborne. Several instances of reformed drunkards since no-license was carried were given by the speaker, and lie pointed out that although sly-grog slions did most undoubtedly exist., there were many men ivho would not go into them who would otherwise be patronising the open bars. With some further illustrations of the benefit of nolieense and a stirring appeal to the audience on behalf of the young folk, Mr. Fee concluded his address amidst applause. At tho conclusion of > the address a gentleman in the audience mounted the platform with the intention' of asking questions,-' which had been mI vitccl. He was called to order several times by the chairman, as he showed a decided’disposition to address the audience. The several questions which he eventually did ask’ were answered by the lecturer, and the meeting concluded. Mr. Fee announced at the conclusion of his address that lie would address another meeting on Wednesday evening, when he would try and-show them the crying need there was for a change, and also the equity, justice, and mercy of the cure proposed by the no-license party to ileal with the liquor curse. Again on Friday evening lie would deal with tho position of affairs in Invercargill and other no-license areas in the Dominion, and also of the progress of the movement iii America.