NO-LICENSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 192, 8 May 1908, Page 4

NO-LICENSE.

, • Sir;— Your .correspondent •" Hard Facts," who writes under the above heading] at!i tempts to prove too rilucli. If' No-License, ; as lie alleges, really tends to an increased , consumption of alcoholic' liquors, the most . ardent supporters _of thb No-License move- , mcut would be the people who''.manufacture . and sell such' liquors. The well r known ' fact : that the liquor-ring in Now. Zealand is spending thousands of pounds in opposition > to No-License reduces the allegation ■of t "Hard Facts" to a pieco of puro bunkum. t What is..true of the liquor-ring in ,New Zealand is also true of the. liquor-ring in t America. . There is; no ' more striking-'tri- ■ buto to the success of prohibition!-in the ' United States than that furnished by the i enormous sums of money contributed by; the; , liquor-sellers in their endeavour to oppose and discredit it. ! , ■ ■ . A sample of'the- attempt' at discrediting [ with-which all who are in touch with the • prohibition, movement : are familiar is given in. the statement made" by " Hard Facts": , concerning crime in Kansas. There are portions of Kansas where no serious. Ati ,'tompt was made, to enforce the-prohibitory i ; law, and where as a consequence the salo. .'; of drink: produced the same, black record-, of ; crime that it: produces in those 'States and• countries' in' which its' sale is: legalised. But . an ox-Governor of- .Kansas; Mr: St.; ■ John,'', ; lias declared that a 'law at'its. ■ worst -.:is'- better :than ;' a license . law at - its . best. This is seen in the fact'that within s, a year the . 260 saloons in Kansas City Avero all closed; by . the . city.''officials, whowere pledged 1 to enforce the 'law. The effect ; of v this is -shown in ; a statement re- . cently .made..by' the ; Hon. C. W. Trickett', i 'Assistant At'torney-Genoral" of the''State of Kansas,.who, speaking of Kansas City, said: "A year ago' this city'whs trying, to' devise ways and means' to 'spare : the to build additions' to our city'gaols.' 'To-day the doors, of the gaols swing idly on', their, i' hinges."''"' ■ '•- "■ i " The increase in the liquor duties paid' in Invercargill ■by ho means 1 , carries 1 ., with.: it ' tho assumption.that'.••more liquor:'isV. con-' jsumed thero; under. .No-License .than, under, : .license. : As . a matter ' of; facji .:ij; V,.indica,tes' [• that,, .whereas'.-, formerly the; great -bulk-'of; . .liquor sold" in tho, ' cdin, where, of course, the-.duty . duV :'bn'it;' was paid; ~the; , effect ,ofNo-License . restric- ■ .jtions lias 'been to' divert' a great deal, .of. such; trade as., exists ..t0... the., local • ; jtt •'is.' alsb.'--.that" : ''lnvdr-, .cargill, is,:'..tho-Customs ;.centro of- a, wide., i' arciji including,' t districts!in : ,which;.Nb-License : 'has'not, yet been \adopted! ' i. '.Tho pro-rliquo'r jadvocates,, of. whom your' i' correspondent is evidently,, one, will do . well . to , let Invercargill. severely alone. When the Mayor' and :one hundred/leading, citizens, of. Invercargill cainb forward v .{o boar em-, phatic testimony to tho great'.benefit No-' r License has brought' to that' town, '.when., ■. tho Police Inspector of Invercargill is cori- ; strained to'-volunteer, tho, : statement. that , No-License ; in that ,town has/been a crowning success,, most/sensible people.. will_ see. I howWiopeless is the', attempt j-'at discrediting: the;. Invercargill experiment • that-. the op.ponents of .:No-License ,'inay mdulgo'-.in.'^-I ■ am, etc., . • •' '. ■■ :• PLAIN TRUTH. ; May 7...... . ; ■ V'.' 7/ ;-': ",V"