SALIENT POINTS

Gisborne Times, Volume L, Issue 5137, 1 April 1919, Page 2

SALIENT POINTS

MR . LYBNAR ON REV. R. S. GRAY.

MISREPRESENTATION DEPLORED.

(Published by Arrangement.)

At his meeting at the Opjera House on Wednesday night, in dealing with the Rev. Mr. Gray’s assertion that the total arrests in New Zealand for one year were 46,490, which equals 42 in every thousand of our population, while the arrests in NoLicense districts were 3285, which equals 19 per cent, in every thousand of the population, Mr. Lysnar quoted from page 205 of the Official Year Book for iyl7 (which ,he stated was the last Official Year Book issged), which states that in 1916 the distinct arrests excluding multiple charges were 15,021. Then he quoted the following extract from the Year Boon on page 207: ' “From the following table it will be seen that of the total convictions of persons arrested (15,932) the distinct arrests amounted to 13,694, the difference being accounted for by malticiple charges against the same person. If distinct persons only are taken thiis total is further reduced t<j 10,426. representing 9.48 for every 1000 of the mean population. Convictions of Maoris are not included. . . Of the total 10,426 distinct persons arrested and convicted during 1916, no fewer than 8675 were for offences against good order, and of these 7649 were for drunkenness (including 134 drunk and disorderly, 16 habituals, and 27 prohibition orders.” Mr. Lysnar .stated that not only bad Mr Gray, tlie head of the NoLicense movement, quoted these mis u leading and untrue figures, but that Mr. J. Boddie, of Auckland, had used exactly |the .same figures and that the lnttefr had gone a little further and staffed th jt there were 2648 breaches I|for tlfe® in New Zealand for tlfe/'year, wbxl<s according to the Official page 207 it showed tha| t 4h.&re w efe only 773 persons, arrested andLcdiivicted of offences for theft in 1 §l6 . and the official figureY shoaled that instead of the statement of 42 s in every I®oo wre'sts there were, only 9.48 fork the** whole Dominioi|| 'while if Mr, <Vray’s figures were /taken, as correct far the No-License areas they show that th|se would , represent 19 in every 100®, which /;h^ J contended wais the strongest ev|i|ence possible condemning tile No-License. Mr. the No-License jitirW/. misquoting the position in the thqy have, and he stated thafe'il would be necessary to provide facilities for Trentham camps insteadAof the present gaol facilities if party’s figures were in any way correct. Mr. Lysnar also made a strong point of having told the No-License party from the public platform that if they could show him that No-Lic-ense reduced drinking he would undertake not to oppose them, but might help them, and he referred to the fact that the No-License party accepted his offer and had the matter arbitrated through their President, the Rev. Chatterton, with the result that it was proved that NoLicense increased drinking. Invercargill wan taken as a basis of test, and at the time the Rev. Chatterton was so satisfied that he signed the award himself, which Mr. Lysnar quoted from as follows: —“Invercargill Customhouse returns two years prior to No-License 325,755 gallons. Do., for two veai’s since No-License, 366,496 gallons. Both sets of these figures include what is manufactured within the areas. These figures do not include, any colonial beer shipped to Invercargill from other parts or the colony, if .any. Owing to the fact that according to section 14 1 , sub-section of Act of 1908 Licensing Act, any resident of a No-License district can bring into such district one quart of spirits or wine and one gallon of beer without notincation, there is an unknown quantity of li<jnor brought in through this sourco.