NO-LICENSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 224, 15 June 1908, Page 8

NO-LICENSE.

; Sir, —Your correspondent, "Observer," a] poars too late in the field in New Zealan as an apologist for the liquor traffic. For. man in the'so days to raise seriously tl question, '(Does no-license promote ten peranco? In other words, does it diminis ,liquor consumption?" is to proclaim himself voritablo Rip Van Winkle. Mr. Atkinson : well able to defend himself with regard-t his statements concerning Ashburton. Bi when "Observer" stigmatises' as "clap-trap tho getting tlio Mayor .of the.town to stal how- no-liccuso succeeds there ho pays a vei doubtful compliment to the intelligence ( your readers. -They know, at any rate, tin is was not only tho Mayor of lnvorcargil .but, in addition, one hundred of the leadin citizens of Invercargill who bore testimon to the marked success of uo-licenso in tha town. They further know that the Mayc of Oamarii, was also backed up by one hui dred citizens, including all tho doctors an the editors of both , the local newspapers, i stating that no-license had proved a pre nounccd bonefit to that town. In Invercai gill and in' Oamaru the. introduction of n< liconso has been followed by a remarkabl decrease in crinio and disorder,' as is evic oncod by police court returns. 1 this decrease is not due to a d( creased consumption of liquor, psi haps "Observer" will kindly tell us to whs it is due? If "Observer's" contention i truo that no-licenso does not load to a d( creased consumption of liquor, what hav the liquor people got to complain of?-\Wh aro : thoy such fools as :to spend thousand of pounds "in opposing lio-liconse? "01 server's" statement concerning the increase duty paid in Invercargill under no-liccns has already been dealt with in your column: and. shown to bo based on' an ignorance ( local conditions. . Certainly tho brewers ( Dunedin have good cause to know that. th demand for their liquor in Invercargill ha fallen off considerably ■ since no-license cam into effect. —I am,'etc., • . Juno'l3, 1903. ■ PLAIN TRUTH. (Our correspondent's letter has had to 1 abbreviated for reasons of space.)