NO-LICENSE AREAS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 84, 6 October 1910, Page 3

NO-LICENSE AREAS.

. « MR. V. G. DAY'S OPINIONS. TRAVERSED BY POLICE INSPECTORS. INTERESTING DRINK STATISTICS. Some interesting statements concerning the working of No-license were made in the Legislative Council yesterday by the Attorney-General (Dr. Findlay). The Hon. G. Jones asked whether the recent statements of Mr. V. G. Day, S.M., that there was more temptation to drink in No-license than in licensed areas was borne out by police records. The Attorney-General said he had had the statement referred to the various police inspectors with a request for their views. The replies he had received he gave without endorsement or comment of any kind. They were as, follows: — Inspector Kiely wrote : — My experience of prohibited districts is rather limited, Ohinemuri being the only Nolicense district I have had under my charge, and that was under prohibition for slightly over twJelva months — a« order of things brought about by the mmers of Waihi, who in a body disputed the charges made for liquor by the publicans, and because the publicans would not lower their prices, prohibition was carried. Since that time it seems to be the ruling thought in the minds of most men in Waihi when, where, and how liquor can be obtained. It is a fact that 'Women have bitter cause of complaint in that their husbands drink in sly grogshops or in the shanties of their mates, where large quantities of liquor are consumed without any restriction. It is also a fact that liquor is now kept in private houses amongst families where liquor was never known to be kept under licenses. The Police Court records will show that an increase in fines and costs has taken place under No-license. I long ago came to the conclusion that Prohibition in the present form is a failure — it I closes the public bar and opens the sly grog-shops. Whether the temptation to drink is greater in a public house or in a, shanty, or a sly grog-shop is a matter upon which it is very hard to express an opinion. It 'depends entirely upon the individual himself. IN AGREEMENT. Inspector Ellison (Wellington) : "I am quite certain there are not more temptations to drink in No-license than in license districts, so far as this police district is concerned. There are more temptations to lying, perjury, and deceit in No-license areas amongst those who desire to obtain liquor or to provide liquor for others than one is accustomed to find eleewhere. Inspector O'Brien (Dunedin) s "T cannot endorse any statement that there are more, temptations to drink in No-license districts. Occasionally we hear of men taking too much liquor in the first-named districts, but the same men and many others would get drunk in a licensed hotel if the licensee would permit it." A CONTRAST. Inspector Cullen (Auckland) : "Temptations to drink in no-license districts are few compared with those in licensed districts. Id the latter districts the hotels are open from 6 a.m. till 10 p.m. where all who want liquor can go in openly and pay for it, and remain there drinking as long as they are not too drunk to attract the attention of the police. Many publicans trade during prohibited hours. Sly grog-sellers keep very limited stocks of liquor. More- than half their time they are without any liquor. They will not supply a stranger or two persons together unless both are well known to them and can be trusted not to give them away. : They will allow no noisy half-drunken persona to remain about their places as they know that if drunken men are seen about their premises or coming from them they will draw the attention of the police' to their premises, and they don't want that. One licensed house will dispose of more liquor in one week than fifty sly grog-chops would do in the same period. Sly grogselling is very intermittent. Another class that get liquor are those who club together and get consignments for special occasions but this class is common to both licensed and No-license districts." IN THE SOUTH. Inspector Mitchell (Invercargill) : "In my opinion* the open bar in a licensed district is the strongest of all temptors to drink. The vicious custom of snouting, and the presence of the attractive barmaid being largely responsible for it. Residents in a No-license district have to seek their supplies from outside such area thereby occasioning some- inconvenience and additional expense. This induces persons to. (1) purchase liquor in fairly large quantities and keep it in their homes, resulting it is said, in an increased consumption, and the placing of temptation within reach of many females and others who had not been previously subjected to it. It is very difficult to disprove or verify such a general statement. Others purchase two and five-gallon kegs of beer from breweries, and sometimes in groups of three or more make themselves objectionable by drinking to excess in the reserves and other public places, but indulgence in. tint practice is principally confined to the intemperate toper, and that class of young man who would furnish ample evidence of his fondness for drink even if in a licensed district. There Is a tendency with a section of the community to exaggerate the extent of this evil. At the «ame time I believe the increasmg of the minimum quantity for sale from two to ten gallons, would considerably diminish the nuisance." , , "Others again join unchartered clubs where the locker system prevails— a system productive of much drinking and which, as at present carried on, 1S without doubt an evasion of the law, but it is very difficult to obtain the necessary evidence to warrant proceedings. The customs returns showing' the consumption of liquor for stated periods do not discriminate between licensed and No-license districts. Aggregate supply only is shown, so thestatistics are of little value. A vast improvement in the order of the streets has resulted from No-license. At the same time it is questionable if license, with shouting made illegal and the barmaid abolished, would not prove more satisfactory than local No-license with breweries in No-license areas and other facilities to legitimately obtain liquor. It is generally admitted that in Southland No-license has not received a fair trial." WHERE THE LIQUOR GOES. Dr. Findlay also quoted for the first time in New Zealand statistics showing the quantity of liquor which had been taken into No-license aieas for the year ended 30th June, 1910. These figures, he explained, are compiled by the cierks of the courts in the areas in question. The first table gives the quantities m respect of those liquors which are in most general use : THIRSTY NO-LICENSE AREAS. The figures given below are for the year ended 30th June, 1910. The first table gives the quantities in respect of

those liquors which axe in most general use (fractions omitted) :—: —

A remarkable feature of the figures is the fact that Mataura and Oamaru are the only districts where bottled beer and spirits have been, entered for consumption in accordance with the requirements of the statute. TOTAL IMPORTATIONS. The following figures give the total of all classes of liquor imported into nolicense areas (fractions omitted) :

Mr. Jones complained that the figures were of little use, for purposes of comparison, because the amount of liquor consumed under license was not given. » ■Later in the day he gave notice to ask for such a return.

Gals. Ashburton ... 22,291 Bruce ...• ... 16,325 Clutha 12,479 Eden 10,935 3roy Lynn ... 5,946 [nvcrcargill ... 78,283 Vlasterton ... 26,547 Mat aura 39,723 Damaru 20,260 Dhinemuri ... 33,658 Wellington South 14,697 Wellington Suburbs 12,170 Bottles. ( 13,692 25,206 Cases. 224 336

t4 t3 3 «2 C ** ga o -a « .2 AUU * Ga ' 3 - Gals - Gals - Ashburton ... 16,985 4,457 166 382 Bruce . . 13,122 2,539 176 290 Clutha ... 9,238 53 65 82 pp d °" t • • 10 Ai% £62 24 253 Grey Lynn ... 5,657 199 15 53 In\ercargill .. 72,733 4,530 163 511 Mastorton ... 22,043 3,803 161 348 Ohinemuri ... 30,496 3,561 89 341 Wellington S. 13,914 393 75 272 Do. Suburbs . 11,233 468 43 371 Mataura ... 37,942 1,718 12 40 Do. (bottles) — 12,589 310 494 Oamaru ... 16,750 3,021 271 136 Do. (bottles) 10,419 13,354 247 742