“THE FOUR B'S."

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2307, 28 September 1908, Page 2

“THE FOUR B'S."

A BREEZY ADVOCATE.

NO-LICENSE IN AUSTRALIA.

“The Four B.’s,” and “Buttling' Bob, the Boose Banisher,” are the names by which the Rev. R. S. B. Hammond is best known in the slums of Sydney, where his work as an Anglican minister lies. Air Hammond, who arrived in Wellington on Wednesday, is a brisk, athletic-looking man, who once had some reputation as ii footballer, and now rushes to lift up the submerged tenth with all the ardour that "lie formerly gave to scrums. Ho is the organising. uiissioner of the Church of England City Mission in Sydney, and tells some lively anecdotes of his experiences in that capacity. But he lias also taken a very prominent part m the No-Li-cense campaign in New South Wales', and since the object of his coming to New Zealand is to adv:>cite .that cause, ibis story is confined to folier aspects of the No-License movement in Australia. AFFAIRS IN SYDNEY. In the part of Sydney which Air Hammond knows best there are fifteen churches and nearly 400 public bouses. “There is one part,” he remarked to a “Dominion” reporter, “where a certain man wants to bet me lie can have ten drinks in ten hotels within ten minutes. If I were a betting man, I should not take it up, because I know be can.”

A new Licensing Act was passed in Sydney fifteen months ago. and the anniveMiry of the first poll held under it has just been observed. Twen-ty-three hotels in the city area of Sydney closed down before the Act came into operation, rather than face the Licensing Court under the new conditions it imposed. When a. poll was taken reduction was carried to the extent of about- 76 houses in tho metropolitan area of Sydney, and about 400 in the whole of New South V aics. In that State the No-Licenso party have this advantage, that if a person votes for No-Li reuse and it is not carried, the vote is counted for reduction. Tho party secured reduction in 5, electorates, hut- there ■ ire still 699 hotels in Sydney. Though the next poll in New South Wales is two years distant, Mr Hammond states that the liquor party are already making a tremendous fight. For six months oast two lecturers have been in the field. The Bottle-- , Merchants’ Association has contributed £IOO to the Liquor Defence League, and many other bodies have done the same. “Curiously enough.” said Mr Hammond, “the Labor party m Parliament, two-thirds of whom are, I believe, total -abstainers, do not help us in this light. At Home the Labor party are the lea del's in tho battle.”

HABITUAL INEBRIATES, q T !\ c Temperance party in New south \\ ales is assisted by an Inebriates Act—still quite an experiment—which provides for indeterminate sentences to be inflicted on habitual drunkards. Fourteen men and a , A . VO T O, i lif "re received this sentence. A part of Dar inghm-st Gaol lias been i, f< T- t IOSO P c . rsoils .- and tliev cue treated m a special manner. For the first three months tho sentence is severe, but by obtaining certain marks they can get into a second class, to which certain privileges are attached. Six months later they can a lvaiico into a third class, if ‘their m,iiks arc good enough, but if tho ’rt", + i f:ul to r , oacll n certain stan(fiud they may be pub back into the fiKst, grade. In the third class the prisoners are allowed to wear ordinary dress, and to oirn nionev for heinselvGs. At the end of twelve months m this grade tliev go before . ? governor, their cases' are reconsidered, and they may be discliar-r----ed None of them have been liberal cd to date, but it is expected that a tow will receive their freedom before, long.. It is not thought wise to liberate these persistent drinkers without some supervision, which is not provided by the present- law, but there is talk of bringing forward *i snort Act to provide some sympathetic supervision. The Government nave also spent £14.000 in connection with two islands in tho Hawkesbury River, which are being made available for tins class of inebriates.

OTHER STATES. In Victoria it is necessary pav compensation when public-houses are abolished. Hie compensation fund is pioyuled entirely by a lcVry ou tho trade itself, and houses are reduced, alter a poll supporting reduction, rrom time to time as sufficient funds / accrue for compensating licensees. in Queensland it- is hoped, during the present session, to bring in a BUI after the No\y South Wales pattern.

In South Australia tbo first local option vote has just- been taken an'" a fifteen years’ limit which was fixed. '’The poll, taken in an electorate near Adelaide, resulted in a largo majority for No-License. Mr. Hammond left- on 'xlnirsday for Auckland, where he will remain ,a week, afterwards giving addresses in Gisborne, Napier, Masterton, Christchurch. Otago, and Wellington, iii.the order named.