Correspondence.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1094, 15 September 1904, Page 3

Correspondence.

_4- _ THE SANITARY SERVICE. TO TUB KDITOR, Sm,-Tho neglect of tho nightsiil sorvico in Wnihi in very ovidont; and now that tho hot weather is approaching, will perhapß bo a source of groat danger. Parts of tho district seem to bo ncglecl.'d for weeks. C nupl'iiut uff/ir complaint is sent in, and the excuse that ono of Mr Berridgo's men is id, or has asked for n day off, is considered sullicoiil lo account for this ucglec. It is all very wHI lor our worthy Mavor to say there is 100 much said about this, No doubt ho is never neglectod. I! ven the drastic measure carried by tho Council, of gently suggesting to Mr Borridgo to form a corps of reservists numbering one, can scarcoly bo expickd to meet the whole of the sanitary require, ments of Wnihi. Do tho Council seriously think that two men, ono cart, and acouplo of horses can attend to over I'ko sqnaro miles of rough country? The fact that tho pans aro put back in a filthy condition is a miiior detail—wo are only bo elad ;o have them emptied, Though the cmt only attends irregularly, tho fortnightly bills arc sent in very precisely, 1 put it to tho Council if honschc Iden are to pay for work that is not dono. If the Council will not, or for some extraordinary reason cannot, compol Mr BcrriuV to carry out his contract, the inhabitants of tho nepleoted parts of tho district should tako the matter into tboir own hands, Firstly, keep the dates on which they aro atteudod (o. and only pay for services actually renderoil. Secondly, promptly complain to tho Inspector, whom 1 have always found most attentivo and obliging, every time there was neghct. Ily doing this thoy will savo their pocket', and, what is far moro important, help unveil some of the eonscquencos of tho neglect,—l am, etc, Resident. Waihi, Sept'inbor 14,1904.

THE LATE THOMAS RUSSELL. TO THE KDITOR. Sin, —Haviug known lliis district in the early days as practically a terra incognita, I now see tho vast stridos that it has taken —second to none universally. Aftor all, this wholo succoss is- duo to tho int domitablo pluck and oncrgy of one man whose demise was only rcconlly an» nounced, viz., Mr Thos. Russell. Surely, such a man's momory deserves to bo immortalised, and I would suggest that a fitting monument bo oroclcd to his memory, I don't know whether tho foregoing has alroady been mooted; in any enso it deserves recognstion. Thanking you in anticipation for trespassing on your valuable spaee,-I am, etc., A Visitor,

WHAT IS THE USE OF LOCAL NOLICENSE? TO THE BDITOR Sir,—Tho above is a question hundreds of people have asked me. Thoy say, "What is the use of it, when, ns in tho ease of Port Chalmers, licenses aro only n fnw miles oil up tho railway?" My answer is always two-fold; (1) It enables all who roily wish to reform to do so. by removing temptation from their immediate path, A V6ry largo proportion of heavy drinkers wish to reform; those who do cannot bo hoipctl by anyone. Those, on tho other hand, who lmvo not yet contracted tho appetite will not put themselves to any cousidorablo trouble to obtain liquor. This reduction of consmnI lioD among tho careless, who thus drift ; into alcoholism, is perhaps the most valuable foaluro of no-iiconse, (2| It reduces crime, It kills the shouting system, and it is tho only moans that will effectually destroy tho present awful political powor oi tho trade. To provo that no-liccnso does reduco crime oven when under unfavourable conditions, i.e., proximity to licensed area, 1 uppend a comparison of drunkenness and lil diil'orcnl soils of cnuio in Port Clinl'ncwfortho 12 months immediately preceding iioiliconso tuid tho 12 months immediately following:— Period July 1,1902-03 (license): Drunkenness, 104; assault, etc, 28; resisting police, 9; prohibition orders, 19; theft, 13; obsceno language, 9; dumagiug properly, ii no visible means of support, 3; indecent acts, etc., 11; embezzlement, 3; smuggling 1; attompted suic'do/2; vagrancy 0; total, 2!)3, Truancy prosecutions, lil. Pori -d July 1,1003-0-1 (no-liccnao in lat< tor period): Drunkonnes?. BO (mostly at railway station); assanlt, etc, -I; resisting tho police, 1; prohibition order?, 0; theft? 2; obscene language, olc. 5 (f.vo in railway traini; damaging properly, 1; no visible moans ot support, O; indecent, act*, etc., ■! (one in railway train): embezzlement, 1; smuggling, 0; attempted suicide, 1, vagrancy, 1; total, 100, Truancy prosocutions.

It will thus bo soon that tlio no-liconso only produced 20cases of serious crime, iw against !)!> in tho liccnso year. Tho abovo leaves out of the reckoning all trivial cases, such as by-laws, trospaas, tic, which, if inolmloil, make tho comparison of much less value Truanoy was includod because it might bo affected by the drinking oi paroulH. Similar improvement in truanoy was noticeablo at Kailangata in their year of no-license, For a p'aco so neat b Duncdin tho abovo is little alioit of marvellous, It was ospneiaily cm- mragiug to mo to iind tho improvement a son of crescendo. Crimo in the port is getting \ m and less every month - I am, ate, G. Hkhnaiid Niciiolls, Otago Agent N.Z. Alliance, Dunedm,