THE LICENSING ISSUE

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 25, 30 July 1917, Page 3

THE LICENSING ISSUE

10 THE EDITOR,

Sir, —Your correspondent, L. Ashcroft Edwards, who writes at length on the liquor question in your issue of the 23rd, having fallen into several egregious blunders, Ij crave a little space to set him right. He trots out the hackneyed cry that the closing of hotel bars at an earlier hour will promote sly grog-Belling and its evil concomitants. This sly grog cry is absolutely childish. Let there be a drastic penalty in the shape of severe punishment for the first conviction without the option of a fine, and sly grog selling will soon be a thing of the past. This method has; been r successfully tried' in other parts of the world, and Sir Joseph Ward, in 1907, promised to introduce some commonsense reforms in this direction, bnt tiho matter ended in talk. Another statement Mr. Edwardp makes is that "partial prohibition has- proved a ghastly failure." The evidence is all the other way. Here are a few unchallengeable figures: Firstly, page lioi. Police Commission report of Clutha, is : Three and a-half years before no-license, 146 convictions for drunkenness; for three and a-half years after no-license six convictions. . Similar Tesults are obtainable from any of the other no-license areas if one cares to go into the matter. Secondly, a careful'compilation based- on Government returns; and published broadcast over the colony a few years back, showed the following : For the year 1912 consumption of drink per head for the whole Dominion, 755; for licensed aTeas, 85s Id per head;-and o for ho-license areas, 18s 6d per head. This compilation was investigated and. checked by one of New Zealand's- leading actuaries, who endorsed it in every detail. Mr. Edwards should exercise a little care before rushing into print.— I am, etc.,

FACT.