The Oamaru Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1910.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10578, 6 October 1910, Page 3

The Oamaru Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1910.

It will bo seen from tho Australian cables to - clay

'he Liquor Campaign, that tho liquor

campaign is causing intense excitement in New South Wales, and that all other political issues are being subordinated to the question of whether tho electorates shall ultimately become "wet" or ' "dry." As was to bo expected, Ne\v Zealand's experiment in the direction of no-license plays an important part in the struggle, and each side is using facts and figures obtained from the Dominion's records to strengthen their own particular case. Unfortunately, a great deal of half-truth will be used in the struggle, and isolated cases will receive a general application which could' be greatly modified were all the surroundings known. It may be taken for granted that tho Liquor party will make the very most of anything that tends to damage tho value of New Zealand's experiment, and that the recent utterances of Mr Day, tho Magistrate, will be made to bear an unfair weight. In this connection, wo draw attention to a message received to-day from our. Wellington correspondent, giving tlio opinions of various police inspectors regarding the temptations to drink experienced in no-license areas, from which it will be seen that an en phatic denial is given to the statement that, temptation is greater under no-license than under iicenso. While it is undeniable that large quantities of liquor are consumed in 110liccnse districts, it is also undeniable that general drunkenness has decreased so far as the public thoroughfares aro concerned; and it must also bo borne, ill mind that prohibition has not come into force at all, but that drink may be legally procured, even by those living in a 110-liccnse district. This point s often lost sight of, and needs to bo occasionally emphasised. The whole article referred to is intensely interesting at tho present time, and is well worthy of careful perusal. We have now tlio answer of Mr Day to tho quesAn Indiscreet Magistrate, tion put to him at tho prompting, of sundry observers interested in the cause of temperance, who were much astonished at the statements recently* made'by him. He lias made a somewhat labored explanation of what ho did say. It looks at first sight like a contradiction of the statement reI ported as made by him. But on exami- | nation it turns out to be an admission I that he went rather far. He puts the blame on those who carried his stateI ments to their logical conclusion, but 1 when one lias studied the explanation i one cannot see what else these observers, | could have concluded. He did say, it Know is.:clear,'that there is a great quantity of liquor in no-license districts and ' that every house lias become a houso ,where liquor can be obtained, and as ho was speaking about a public matter of considerable interest ho" s '; can not complain of the construction put upon his iwords. It seems that he depended on .'th'o.-largo number of applications for 'permits, which were 3000 in the Ashburton district in six months, and 011 the "fact that one person came before him who was an habitual dipsomaniac. What /ho-: had a right to say was that liquor 'does get into a 110-licensc district. That everyone was prepared for. That was 1 tlio thing provided for under the Act itself. No one regarded no-license I'as jin any sense a step in prohibition: Of course it is manifest that iwlien there are many open bars there 'must be much drinking. : It is' also manifest that men who do not wish to ileave off drinking will ! not' do so wlien 1 the law allows them, to get what they want for themselves in a certain way 1 .perfectly fair and above board. But -that does not establish, even a "prima ;facie"' case in . favor of the theory that Jmore .liquor is actually consumed under -no-license.than tinder the ■ regime of tlio When the dipsomaniac in a desire to fight her worst foe volunteerseel ,to .immolate herself in a no-licenso ?district in the hope tluit the struggle iwould be made easier by the absence 'of..,.temptation, she had gained the first in her-battle, and it was unfortunate that 0110 in such authority idamped her good resolution. Tho re:ply of the magistrato ought to bo sent lout to Australia as widely spread as 'possible, because his original statement has been much misunderstood and more misrepresented. It only comes to this, that because many people get drink into their houses in a no-licenso district, this magistrate has rushed into categorical condemnation of the whole working of 110-license in every part of the Dominion, and owing to his position he has been accepted as a strong authority. The fact that he by his own admission did not possess anv authority for the statement he was rash enough to niako ought to be made as widely known as possible.

[» Our special correspondent telegraphs from Wellington that ..a calculation shows that tho gallons of alcoholic beverages consumed in licenso districts amount approximately to 12 per head and in no-licenso areas to 2 per head. The market at Bumside yesterday (says the Daily Times) was again exceedingly high, and the quality of the stock poor. For years past, the position has never-been so bad as it is-at present. Bullocks of most inferior quality brought as high as £ls ss, while tho yarding as a whole was unusually small. The shortness of supplies and the poorness of the quality can only be regarded as an outcome of tho drought experienced last season, and tho consequent t shortness of fodder. It is consider2'l that r there cannot bo any appreciable improvement in the existing state of affairs until well into December, bat if a good fall of rain were experienced, ana the grass came away, the conditi ill of cattle might improve by about !he middle of November. In any oajc it .s reasonably certain that dear markets will be the rule for the next six ivtiks at the least. There is also a decided

difficulty being experienced in obtaining supplies of store cattle. Yesterday a line of stores of small frame realised £7 per,head. Sheep were also dear..! to tlie extent of from Is Gd to lis pi.r head, and here again the quality \v u. unsatisfactory. The placing of Ihe spring lambs on the market might to some extent relieve the present situation by reducing the demand for beef, and there ease the price. Yesterday there was some talk among individual butchers of raising the price of beef, but it is very doubtful if any concert"-! action in this direction will follow. The keenness of competition makes it almost impracticable. It is stated that tlicrr is not ;i butcher in Duuedin who i.-, not losing .money, and that if the present state of affairs is to continue very much longer it can only end disastrously for some of them.

On behalf of the Euchre Tournament Committee, Messrs K. Jones and A. Stock have presented each of tho inmates of the Victoria Home with 2s Gd cash, amounting in all to £4 4s. On Tuesday (reports the New Zealand Tablet) a ceremony of reception took place at tho Convent of Our Lady of Mercy, South Dunedin. His Lordship Bishop Verdon officiated, assisted by Rev. J. O'Malley and Rev. D. O'Neill. The young ladies who received the habit were: —Miss Purcell, Lambton, New South Wales (in religion, Sister M. Clement), Miss Egau, Wairio (Sister M. Liguori), Miss Carmody, Sydney (Sister M. Sebastian), Miss '• Carmody, Sydney (Sister Margaret .Mary), Miss Mornssey, lnvercargill (Sister Raphael). At the Burnside stock sales yesterday the National Mortgage and Agency Company sold on account of Mr H. Cunningham (Oamaru). 3 bullocks at £l3 15s, 2 do at £l2 12s Cd, 4 do at £l2 10s, 4 do at £l2; and for tho saina client, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company sold 34 wethers at 30s 9d, 30 at 25s 6d, 40 at 235, 40 at 21s 9d, 34 at 21s Gd, 47 at 20s 3d, 20 at 31s Gd. The annual re-examination of tho Oamaru nursing division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade was held last evening. The examination was conducted by Dr Douglas, who reported that the work done by the members was

not so good as when he previously examined this division. The following were successful: —Misses N. Alexander, J. Brownlee, T. Kay, E. Winsley, N. Bee, M. Kay, and Mrs Einmett. Those entitled to receive the bar, issued by the Association, can do so 011 application to the lion, secretary. Do not try to endure that nerveracking cougli. Zymole Trolceys will stop it and remove the irritation. They dispel hoarseness and strengthen tlio throat. 7