NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16507, 24 March 1914, Page 5

NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —Referring to “ Moderate’s ” letter I have only two or three remarks to make. First, if it pleases “ Moderate ” to assume that the prosperity and increase of population of Wanganui and Tiniaru are caused by the amount of liquor consumed or facilities for getting it, he is quite welcome to do so, but I and those I represent differ from this opinion. Second, in justice to myself I have to state that the information upon' which T based my estimate of the population of Southland was taken from the 1908 year book, page 160. It is there stated under the heading of Population of Provincial Districts that the population of the Southland portion of Otago was 53,097 in 1906, and that the increase since 1901 had been 11.07 per cent, while the increase in the Otago portion had only been 2.02 per cent. “Moderate” does not refer to this, but it indicates that the Southland portion of what is known as the Otago Provincial District is more progressive in point of population than the northern portion in spite of the larger area in the south being under no-license. I had not tho census returns for 1911 before me and consider that the estimate i f 65,000 was a fair one. I have no intention of following “ Moderate ” through his beer consumption figures. Ho is welcome to any comfort he can draw from them. Wo who are on the ground know that no-license is an effective preparation for national prohibition and the sooner this comes about the better it will bo for New Zealand.—l am, etc., J. 8. BAXTER, Secretary Reform Council. Invercargill, March 20.