SHIPS & NO-LICENSE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 14 April 1908, Page 1

SHIPS & NO-LICENSE.

The question of no-license and ite probable effect is^seriously considered in Lyttelton, and especially this year, when the option pool is looming larg er every day. As in other towns in the Dominion, the possibility of an increase in the rate 3 is argued for and , against, and it was in denying recently that there would be an increase in J the rates *hat Mr G. Laurenson, MJ,, _ made a statement regarding the pro- . bable effect of no-license on shipping. _ Lyttelton has a large number of ho- , tels, as many as six hotels within a ' space of two hundred yards, and the [ hotels are close to the water front. , Most of the traffic to and from the j shipping in the port has to use the streets in which the hotols~ are the J most frequent. The. port, has eafrned v 5 the name "of being one of" the worst . towns in New Zealand,, but its friends . urge that most of the' drunkenness I rests with the men from x the ships, i who come ashore and meet with con- ; vivial spirits and intoxicating drinks. I It has been freely stated that the car- [ rying of no-license will be beneficial I tei shipping, and a -" Lyttelton Times" . reporter interviewed a large number , of people connected intimately with i ships, and found that in Christchurch and Lyttelton shipping circles few could be found who denied that nolicense in the port would be a benefit. The senior partner of one firm doing ■ a large business told tho reporter that his firm would be willing to pay a reasonable share of the amount necessary to' make up any deficiency in Lyttelton's revenue,., should there be a deficiency in the event of no-license being carried. There was no question that shipping was inconvenienced by the drnnkenness of firemen and sailors in Lyttelton. He had heard, that the principal evil at present was the liquor that the men obtained. That nolicense in LJrttelton would be beneficial to ships could not be refuted, especially as Lyttelton was the worst seaport in New Zealand for drunkenness among marine workers. A prominent member of a shipping company engaged in international trade stated omphaticaUy that he thought that no-license would be the best thing for shipping in Lyttelton. He did not attempt to argue, about its efTect on the town, but certainly shipping would benefit. His firm, would not be prepared to pay anything tpwKids the difference in Lyttelton'a rales. Tlio firm paid a considerable amount for rates in Lyttelton, In fact, it was ono of Ihe largest ratapf.\vi"S in tho port, and it. would willingly pay any extra charges on the rates to sco tin. hotels clos-d. If a Horn j going steamer were delayed in the stream at Lyttelton the cost to the company was about £60 a day, and if the. vessel was alongside a wharf .it waa slightly greater. . . ' Another prominent shipping man stated that he thought that there was no diversity of opinion regarding the merits of no-license in Lyttelton as far as shipping was concerned. Un? til the hotels were closed the firemen would always give trouble, and it seemed that the men often got, instead of good liquor, " fighting-whis-key." The "black squad," as the firemen were called, contained many heavy drinkers, and immediately, they. w«re ashore their money flew swiftly into the bars. It would- pay the slip*ping companies handsomely if the hotels were shut, and the movement* of the ships would not be subject to delays caused by drunken firemen and greasers. Almost every steamer captain is ia favour of no-license in Lyttelton. Ono captain of a ship trading between London and New Zealand, said that though he denied that the Government had a moral right to prohibit drink, speaking selfishly he thought that the closing of the" hotel© in Lyttelton would be one of the best things that could happen in the interests of shipping. During his two last visits to Lyttelton he had experienced little difficulty with his men, but a fewyears ago Lyttelton was one of the worst seaports in the world. ' It was not the best now, but it had improved considerably in recent years, and ho had been able to get his firemen aboard the ship without any trouble. The chief trouble was with the quality of tho liquor supplied to the men. He had known strong drinking men who had been made' "fighting drunk" by one glass of absolutely poisonous stuff. Gpod, honest beer did very little harm, bat some of the drink that tho men obtained in New" Zealand affected tho systems of the men for over, a week in some cases. A captain of one of the steamers trading to Avon mouth said that he thought the earryihg of no'-licenso in Lyttelton would be of little use unless ChristchuTch were also dry. "My experience." lie said. "ftni I tave been in all quarters of the shipping world, is that a fireman will get any drink that- is within twenty miles of him. If Christchurch remained open tho mon would go to town, and wo would never be able to find them again and, in addition, the trains down to Lyttelton late at night wonld be terrible for women. Lyttelton, as far as the licensing poll is concerned, should be merged to the Christchurch district. Then certainly no-license would be welconied by shipmasters. If the sale of liquor could be prohibited in every seaport in the world I am ure that shipping would soon experience improved conditions." The period of nd-licenso in Port Chalmers was recalled by on of the oldest aea captains in the Union Company 's employ. He said .that the eighteen months of prohibition in Port Chalmers had won almost every shipmaster that had visited the port to the no-license -side. Lyttelton, he considered, was thof worst port in Australasia. Its'. hotels wefe so near the wharves, and t%e men from the ships could obtain liquor with ease. The reporter ■uoM.lcl In all eight steamships, three ;ti which were Home-going vessels, one an intercolonial trader, and the remainder coasting ships, and from every master h* obtained opinion! in favour of no-li-cense in Lyttelton^as being beneficial to ships and shipping. I.