WHAT DRINK IS DOING IN PALMERSTON.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7972, 8 February 1905, Page 3

WHAT DRINK IS DOING IN PALMERSTON.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—The Police Court returns for last year, which you published a few days ago, disclose a fearful state of things as to the results of the liquor traffic in this town. There were no less than 335 convictions for drunkenness. This of itself is appalling; but it is well known that this contingent, large as it is, forms a very small proportion of the number whom the publicans of this town send home with empty pockets, tottering limbs, and muddled brains, to their wives and children, and in many cases, to their parents. When giving evidence a few years ago before the Lords' Committee, the Hon. Joseph Chamberlain said, regarding the arrests for drunkenness, that: " Another turn of the screw would bring in ten times that number," This would most certainly be true of Palmerston, for drunken men (mostly young) form a painfully common sight in its streets every day. Only recently, in the course of a short walk to the Square one afternoon, I metfive drunken persons, four being young men, and the other an old man tottering into the grave. On another occasion, a poor man, the picture of misery, was persuasively and gently taking his drunken wife home to their neglected children. This leads me to notice that a very sad feature of the returns referred to is, that of the 335 cases of convictions for drunkenness, twenty-six were females, showing that, as in England, the liquor dealers do not hesitate to sacrifice even womanhood on the altar of their insatiable greed. Besides the 335 convictions for drunkenness, there were 42 for using obscene language. 23 for assaults, and 13 for breaches of the peace. In nearly every case these three offences are associated with drink. And this fearful record of demoralisation is still being kept up. Only a few days ago you reported a case of two young men being sent to gaol for 14 days for assaulting three others outside the Occidental Hotel. Your report stated thaf "AU the witnesses (5) admitted to having four drinks within an hour before the. occurrence." In another case, a young man, charged with causing bodily harm to another, said: " I don't know why I did it; we were all drinking; lam very sorry." Surely it is time to ask, how long are the respectable citizens of Palmerston going to permit a traffic to continue that is not only undermining its commercial prosperity and retarding its social progress, but is tainting its moral atmosphere, poisoning its youth, and degrading its womankind.—l am, etc.,

G. Palk, Organising Agent Prohibition EleC' toral Committee.

Shannon, Feb. 7th, 1905.

[We shall refer to this letter editor, ialty in our next issue.—Ed, MiD.T.I