WHAT NO-LICENSE MEANS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11456, 15 December 1902, Page 5

WHAT NO-LICENSE MEANS.

TO TH« XDITOa Of THB »S9S.

Sir,—The subject dealt with in your leader of the Bth iUst. cannot but prow of deep interest to eVery thoughtful reader in view of tbe > fSbt that, the electors of this colony havenow tuimistakably declared their intention of doing away—and that j at no distant date—with the licensed liquor traffic. A good deal might ©c said upon other pointe which you raiee, but for tie present I shall confine my remarks to that £600,000 (or. to be accurate, £674;308l which, in the shape of revenue, is to be lost to the country when -colonial no license is carried. In 1901 the sum of £620,692 was derived from" Customs duties on alcoholic liquor, and £65,610 exacted in the shape of license fees. It is customary to say we get this from the liquor traffic. It might more correctly be said that we get it through the liquor traffic, since it comes from exactly .the came place as all the rest of the revenue—out of the pockets of the people. In addition to this we, as a people, throw away on liquor the sum of £2,248,674, which also comes out of our pockets, and will cease to do so when the liquor traffic is voted out. Bad finance I call it—to pay out £2,922,982 for the sake of getting back leee than, the odd £900,000. (I say "throw away," because tie highest medical authorities now state that alcohol is neither a food nor a tonic It cannot, therefore, add to the productive power of the notion, and, indeed, we ail i know clever tradesmen who have altogether ceased to do their chare because of their indulgence in etrong drink). Would it not be better, if'H came to that, to pay that £674,000 straight out in the form of I taxes and keep the two million odd to spend upon fchat which will really make some return? But it will not come to **hat. I will not refer to the appreciable daminution which will take place in our expenditure upon crime, lunacy, . sickness and I. poverty as soon as things have had tune to settle down, ac to do so would be—m your opinion—4* furnish another sample of the way in'which the prohibitiomete »beg the question.".' But »;»«*■ -best, ging; the question" to speaJc as.rf 4cohobc paid duty in thto oolony? Is at not a fact that-epeaklng we eat and' drink fflad ; wear v pa£B duty? Housewive* ".have 'recently been busy with their Chrfetma# pudding. Did-*£ stop, to think titik they the revenue'-a* the rate of a half-pennj a pound for *heix iurrante aaxdraisine, 4d for t&ear epioes SfS : foftheir tribute to the revenue *o Jjcense.js carried, who are com P rt H &£B nSr of:men who; formerly.pent; nw*. of tbsdr money at the hotel bar will take to their femiLes aU of which $M contribute to the revenue SSfoSw < Revising the little town-hip BSFSr expirienoefof fiv% year* of no Sense liound :*. little «*»y «*.- n «* h£S gon?**, *»* only <«» uwyccupied All resriencee STTteable J&ve,<nK*ter»lly gaaiasesserssopen |»r are" «iftov«d. Every One opour* to= meVe-t the *%£ oamemnder my noiice w, father could canS Wβ £3 tt. wee%but m. despair of 'ever keening T***^' aiSvinK on the ew&fielde. Tbs family in-, children. ■Tfe ; «!B^id«W'-t9/W"gs^&' crockery/ tributa* to the Hquor traffic, lot liot- eatningKnw^^vdr^^^ auppoee no-licease and that man to e*m hi* £y * week; and. tarctaate it through ordinary .chadnele of trade. V imedietely thte butcher; baker, Hmiikmani drawer; aikl tWiboot «nd 'furniture ehpi»ff begSi-'W benefit % tlw> improved etatoo* thtoge, And kuur&tidf.-ti* to contribute,- through ,v.theie to the revenue of ; , ;, iwi '■■ : 4imritayj' the children: have now in, chence to deveJop brain and muscle for the.;eervice; of tb*ir. counttyv* f to >be a ■ burden -to iJie-: But alael i% is • too- lot family, ior when I Wi: ieighSofsbeni ftie Second - a:/-'irwtwoithy, ,,■ ven*rgeitio^|ed; i; y yrm.,•, fast; driftingliwU) '-'-,&£' food/ and othwe were aj l ing for old, v«s «m never-have'constitutione etrong eooogK to enable them to «am tbw own living, t Thanking ..foii in), anticipation.—.. YouWj'etc.,'- ■'■>■'■ V -,U'..: ; ..■■••-• ;': ■ •■..■■.:' :■■•. } :r':iii:)'-^''. PO^ELL-"' , '/