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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 74

IV.—Some Economic Aspects of Prohibition

page 13

IV.—Some Economic Aspects of Prohibition.

Labour Leaders.

Powderly, Burn, Tillet, and other great [unclear: our] leaders in America and England, [unclear: ort] wage-camera to give the Liquor I [unclear: Traffic] no quarter. A Labour candidate for [unclear: ment], who is not a Prohibitionist, is [unclear: out] as fit to look after the interests of [unclear: labour] as a wolf to shepherd lambs, Every-[unclear: -dy] knows that the Liquor Traffic means [unclear: uced] industrial opportunities, reduced [unclear: es] of wages, and the disintegration of labour Union. The Labour candidate who [unclear: es] not know it should be taught by the [unclear: kers] that he is not wanted.

"The Liquor Traffic is responsible for [unclear: ingtenths] of the misery among the working classes, and the abolition of that traffic [unclear: would] be the greatest blessing that could [unclear: ne] to them."

—T. V. Powderly.

The Trade" no Friend to the Farmer.

In 1892 the Victorian parliament imposed [unclear: differentiating] duty of 2d. per gallon on [unclear: er] made from malt and hops only, and on beer made from sugar and other in-[unclear: tients], so as to encourage the growth of [unclear: lt] and hops, and to ensure "a purer [unclear: r"] being supplied to the public. In 1894 [unclear: e] excise beer duty brought in £154,210, [unclear: d] of that total £149,648 was paid on beer [unclear: de] from sugar. Evidently the public [unclear: e] not get " a purer beer," and the brewers [unclear: e] real friends of the farmers, but the [unclear: overishers] of all their other customers.

The "Wine Industry."

!"The fact of the matter is that if Victoria is to compete successfully with Italy is the wine trade, Victorian workers must be dragged down to the Italian level. Even the penny-an-hour rate is higher than the Italian, so that further reductions may be necessary. The wine industry is a [unclear: monstrous] Pandora's Box in the potentialities for mischief which it possesses, but the workers should sternly oppose its extension for this reason alone—that it can [unclear: aly] thrive by reducing its employes to the most impoverished of the [unclear: ld] world peasantry."

Mr. John Vale, of Melbourne, forwarding the above quotation, wrote :—" The evils of the wine industry are great. The industry has attained its fullest development in the Rutherglen district. At a large meeting in Rutherglen I mentioned Mr. Bragato's theory, that wine drinking promotes sobriety, with the intention of refatin it, but the audience laughed so heartly at the idea that I saw it was un-necessary refute the statement in a place where the theory is put to the test of practice. As a matter of fact, there is no pther part of the Colony where drunkenness abounds to the same extent, and the drunkenness is generally of the most [unclear: hestly] kind. Steaking generally, our wine shops, both in city and country, are the lowest kind of drink shops we nave, . . . I pray that your Colony may be saved from the establishment of this evil.

"With best wishes, I remain, yours very truly,—John Vale."

An official report made by the Adelaide Commissioner of Police said :—" I cannot in an official return divide the separate cases of drunkenness into those that have occurred in wine shops and those that have taken place in public-houses, but I have no doubt that the sale of colonial wine has in-creased drunkenness to a great extent especially in the country districts. Colonial wine has to compete with colonial beer, and to do so it must be made cheap, and to be cheap it must be sold so new that it can-not have matured sufficiently to he whole-some; in this state, when drunk in large quantities, as it frequently is drunk, it produces a type of drunkenness which assumes a very dangerous character, and which often produces madness."

Does Prohibition Pay?

Compare the two licensed States of Illinois and Ohio with the Prohibition State of Maine, respecting which the Liquor Party are always telling us that Prohibition does not prohibit.

  • Illinois has a population of 3,826,351, and roundly, £4,699,501 in her savings banks.
  • Ohio has a population of 3,672,316, and roundly, £6,921,242 in her savings banks.
  • Maine has a population of only 661,086, and has roundly, £10,679,518 in her savings banks.

In Illinois the savings banks money, divided among the whole population, would give £1 4s 6d to every man, woman, and child; in Ohio, £1 11s 11d each; and in Maine, £16 3s 1d each; or in the following proportions :—

In Illinois In Ohio In Maine

This shows how the people are impoverished in any country which keeps the Liquor Traffic in existence, and how they are enriched in any country which prohibits it, and should alone be sufficient reason to strike out the top line only on your voting paper.

(See also pages 30 and 32.)

In a recent issue The Scottish Reformer asks: "If America can, by Prohibitory education and organisation, put 558,131 square miles, and 14,622,000 of a population under Prohibition and Local Option, what is to binder Scotland from putting her small territory and our four millions of a population under local Veto !" We ask what is to prevent New Zealand with under three-quarters of a million of a population She can do it by striking out the top line of her voting paper of [unclear: lling] day.

page 14

Your Laddie !
"Here's a laddie bright and fair,
And his heart is free from care.
Will he ever, do you think,
Learn to smoke, and chew, and drink?
Make a furnace of his throat,
And a chimney of his nose?
In his pocket not a groat,
Elbows out, and ragged toes?"
That may depend on how you vote.

drawing of a boy

I shall ask sis' and mother and dad and of my cousins and aunts and uncles to think of me when they are voting.

Save the Boys!

"License is a fraud immense,
Men of sober common sense
Save the boys !
Think no pleas of "revenue"
Will excuse your guilt if you
Give your voice and ballots to
Curse the boys !
Talk's a good thing "In its place,"
Use it as a means of grace—
Save the boys !
But, oh, voters ! one and all,
Crush the demon Alcohol;
From his cruel bitter thrall,
Save the boys !
Banish strong drink from the land,
By the power of laws' command,
Save the boys!
Vote for those men who you know
Will not favour this vile foe,
But prohibit it, and so
Save the boys;
You can do it if you will;
Ballots are the things that tell?
Save the boys!
For our homes we intercede!
For our country's life indeed;
In the name of God we plead,
Save the boys !"