NO-LICENSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2298, 17 September 1908, Page 3

NO-LICENSE.

MR. BLACK’S LECTURE. THE TACTICS OE THE TRADE. Mr. A. J. Black addressed another crowded audience at His Majesty’s ,Theatro last evening on behalf of the no-license movement. The Rev. W. Lamb occupied the chair, and the meeting was opened by the singing of a hymn; .Mr. Black playing the accompaniment. The lecturer said he would speak of the liquor trade and some of its tactics. He would lift up the curtain and show the public how the trade ran its nefarious business. He would not say anything against any individual in the trade or make any personal or nasty statement. The- liquor trade had, in past years, tried to get hold of the political power oF the country, and to try and get its advocates into positions where they could catch hold of the springs of government. The public was gagged by the trade in freedom of speech among the members who sat in the Legislature, of the Dominion. The liquor trade would not live very long if the Dominion could express a universal \-ote, but it would live a long, long time while each electorate had to fight its own battle. He believed tile time was coming when the people would demand the right, to say.whether or not the liouor traffic should be swept out of the country. The reflection of the large number of criminal convictions in Gisborne reflected upon the people as well as upon the hotel-keepers. No wife or no child deserved the stigma cast upon them when the husband and father was in gaol because of a trade that manufactured criminals. The trade said that the day lip-license was carried was the day of the beginning of crime, but when men were delivered from the curse of drink they became honorable, upright, and industrious citizens. / In reply to questions, the lecturer said -the hotel was of no commercial value to a community. He did not 'know, because lie had not tho latest figures, that the number of prohibition orders issued in Invercargill had increased since no-license was carried, but the figures he had been able to obtain showed' there was a decrease in the number. Ho would be pleased to meet upon the - latform any man who felt lie could justify Hie existence of the liquor trade. a hearty vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Black for his address. Mr. A. J. Black addressed the employees at Messrs Nelson Bros,’ freezing works at noon yesterday on nolicense. Mr. Black was accorded a most sympathetic hearing, and was frequently applauded. Mr. Black leaves for Tologa Bay this morning to deliver an address on behalf of the no-license movement. He will return to Gisborne on Friday, and will deliver open-air addresses at the Sievwright memorial on Friday evening, Saturday at noon and Saturday evening, and will speak in the theatre again on Sunday evening,