THE WELL-BOOMED CITY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 92, 18 April 1908, Page 5

THE WELL-BOOMED CITY.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir, —Re your article on the general prosperity of Inyercargill, and various other towns in New Zealand. As you say rightly, "the solid advancement oi: the southern city is noteworthy." This is too self - evident to be disputed. You go on to say'that dozens of other places are in the same happy circumstances. Now, sir, there are various degrees -of -prosperity, and. whether or not the several towns enumerated you you are prospering to the same extent- as Inyercargill, I will not venture an opinion at this juncture. But this fact I do assert most emphatically: The people of Ihvercargill were continually being told, prior to the last poll, the same lying statements that were continually being dinned into the ears of ■ Blenheimites—that if, they voted "no-license" the bottom would be knocked but of the town's prosperity, employment would be scarce, rates would go up, and general stagnation would result. Pamphlets c6nveying these distorted perversions were circulated in thousands by the liquor party, and were foolishly believed by many. However,- down in the southern city in 1905 there were 3906 electors who refused to> believe the , garbled statements of' those' interested in the drink traffic, and gave an overwhelming vote in favour of no-license, fully determined that ■it should have a trial. 'The eighteen months' experience the residents have had has proved conclusively that the mendacious falsehoods that were so industriously circulated had not even a slender backing of, truth to support them. Instead of Invercargill.;" going to the dogs," the last eighteen months has been a period of unexampled progress. Never in the history of the town has there been such- a period of prosperity, while as to the moral effects of-the, great reform;, please do not listen to ,what I.have' to say, but read what Police Inspector Mitchell says, commenting in the Invercargill police returns for the year just past: " The public generally have taken kindly to the no-license movement, with the result that there is little or no evidence of drunkenness' in the streets. Invercargill is a grand testimony for no-license, which I think is a grand success.;—l am, etc.;

TRUE BLUE. ' [That there should be "little..or no evidence of drunkenness in the streets •' is just what might be expected from the adoption of nolicense, il the new system is not to be an entire failure. But this is all that can fairly be claimed. The undoubted prosperity of the whole district is, as we have already pointed out, not singular to that part of New Zealand. The whole Dominion is in the same happy condition, and long may it continue.—Ed., M.E.]