Artist unknown :The Groggy Goddess of Liberty! A symbolic design for the newly-formed Liberty League, dedicated to the promoters and their friends. ... Remember the Newtown job, and vote No License! T E Fraser, Printer, Christchurch [1905?]

Flier shows a statue of drunken Liberty (based on the figure of the Statue of Liberty), atop a stack of rum, gin, beer, whisky and wine barrels. Text above the image reads "A symbolic design for the newly-formed Liberty League". Text below reads "Dedicated to the promotors and their friends. Messrs T Kennedy MacDonald, J T M Hornsby, John Plimmer, Staples & Co, and All Representative Liquor Sellers, who deserve the Thanks of their Country for their Glorious Defence of Liberty - to get Drunk".

The verso reproduces a poem "The Liberty League" (Not viewed through N.Z. Times spectacles). It mentions "Kenny MacD-cum-Menteath" and two members of the "Women's Seddonite and Publican League" as "Shortt" and "Doby" (See Evening Post 29 October 1896, Page 4; in fact this refers to a meeting of the Wellington Liberty League).The quotation on the verso, beginning "A pitiable case came before the stipendiary magistrate ..." is an excerpt from the Evening Post, 5 September 1895.

Previously thought to date from 1896. However, the reference to "the Newtown job" suggests the date 1905. It probably refers to the fact that in the 1902 poll, Newtown, Chalmers, and Bruce carried the No-License vote, but in each case the poll was declared void, due to political influences and publis apathy (See "Temperance and Prohibition in New Zealand", by J. Malton Murray and Rev. J. Cocker. London, Epworth Press, 1930, page 78. Online at )

Recto of another copy of this flier has been photographed - see PUBL-0107-001.

Quantity: 1 b&w photo-mechanical print(s).

Physical Description: Engraving and letterpress, on both sides of flier, 355 x 147 mm.

Provenance: Donated by Ms Truda Olson, Australia, in 2007.