11 DECEMBER 1915, Page 3

Finally, Mr. Agg-Gardner tries to " down " us by

raising the bogy of "the cost of compensating various trades, agricultural, mechanical, manual, &c., dependent upon the manufacture of intoxicants, to say nothing of the compensation due to the dispossessed licensed holders, brewery shareholders, wine merchants, &c." Here we must be quite plain. „ We do no propose that any compensation should be paid to the agricultural or other trades "dependent upon the manufacture of intoxi- cants." That they will suffer something is no doubt probable, but owing to the tremendous demand for labour just now this is not a real difficulty. .The foodstuffs now raised for the manufacture of liquor in this country -will be used instead for food. This will protect the farmer, and the distillers' machinery and the machinery for the manufacture of brewers' vats will, when freed from the demand of "the trade," be able to be used for the making of shells—a use -which Mr. Agg-Gardner will, we are sure, admit in war time must be a much better use than even that of producing the glorified deity of "the trade."