LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15856, 30 August 1913, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

LAUDER VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS AND RESERVES. Sra.-The late Mr F. W. Plow held the above under yearly license for 25 years or more, and the license is held by tho late Mr Slew's executors until November of this year. Now, Sir, I notice, along with other residents, that the Land Board at its last meeting granted to an applicant 20 acres of the pick of this property. Why should the board, do so before ,the license expires? Why should it make fish of one and fowl of another? Why was it not advertised that the land was opened to be pegged off by anyone?. This is surely not right, and more—and no doubt much more l —will be heard of this. What I would suggest—and I think the big majority w;ll agree with me—is that tho village settlement and reserves be surveyed in, say, from 20 to 50aoro blocks and offered as a workers' home settlement. Tho property is an ideal spot for such a purpose, being warm, snug, and nicely sheltered, and the Lauder Greek, teeming with trout, runs right through the property.' Fruit, strawberries, and vegetables would grow 'well ajid the Lauder district would* be much benefited. Workers settled there would also got plenty .of outside employment from the surrounding farmers, who have' always plenty, of work to do and get done, j am sure if Mr Massey sees this letter wo will get a "6quare deal."—l am, etc., j Baqk-block Worker. Lauder, August 26, 1913.

THE STATISTICS OF DRUNKENNESS.

Km,— Except on the exact date when u census is taken the population oi a country can only bo a matter of estimate. lu my calculations I assumed the round number 1,123,000, at the 6ame time remarking that it was "probably too great." You have since given the Government estimate as 1,111,9b/ as on December 31, with three months to go till the date ot the Commissioner's report. Leaving out those three months, my ligurc was theretorc wrong to the extent of 8013, or nearly three-quar-ters ot a unit per cent., and I submit that for ."a liquor advocate" that was as near as might do expected. Still, I think I owe my esteemed friend "-Recorder, U.T..R.C," an apology, and in order tliat it, may lully cover any pain that I may have caused to his sensitive nature I may express its extent indicated by the formula (1 x .0072). Will that satisfy him as to my good wishes for lis happiness and welfare ? My triend, however, is not what one mignt call quite consistent on this .point. In his fini!; letter he says: "The Year Book tor 19m, at page 126, shows the populat.on to be • ■ • 1,058,312," and he a6ks: " Why in tho name of all that is honest does lie not give the correct figures, as arguments, so unfair only reflect back on the trade he so anxiously tries to delcnd and whose sins he endeavours to cover?" In his second letter he asks: "Why should a man presume the population to be 1,123,000 when'it is only 1;008,465—a difference of 114,532?" In his third letter he writes: "I took exception to two items in his first letter—viz., the population and tho' .'repeaters.' The former item was put down by 'A. B. C.'.as 1,123,000; you give it as 1,'114,987,, while the police returns state it as 1,102,389.!' In h.s letter to-day, and again on tho authority of the Commissioner, hn gives the figure as 1,075,250. My friend has thus presented tour different statements with a range of 93,921 between tho highest and the lowest, the least being perhaps his own estimate as ho, does not quote .any authority for it. This wide range, however, is equal, to 9.3 per cent., which even ho will probably admit is some-, what greater than ■ my own deviation of ,72 per cent, which has troubled him 'so much. Whilst I can. hardly follow_ my friend's figures over so wide an area I trust he will not feel offended if I can adopt his own words and ask: "Why in the'name of all honesty does he not give the correct figures, as arguments so unfair only reflect back?" etc But my. friend is also troubled because I said that the one ■ drunk person was probably a repeater, " making it appear," as he says, " that there were jio first offenders." I need hardly_ 6ay that his inference was drawn entirely from his own imagination, and. that my comment was justified in view of tho percenjage 'of "repeaters" already quoted irom the police report, and from the fact that on tho very day his letter appeared there was a ' repeater" before the magistrate charged with having been found drunk for tho fourth time within six months. Again, he says:; " I 6hou!d like to a6k your correspondent's object in giving tho summary in the first place, if it was cot, as I have pointed out already, to cover up the defects of the drinking customs of society." This is putting hid viow a little more mildly than lie did before, which is something, to be thank-ful-for. But. I regret I cannot compliment my friend upon the facility ho appears to havo acquired in the prohiMtion camp of attributing unworthy motives to anyone who disagrees with him or Ids' party. I might as well ask why ho so strongly resents having tho truth put before him. It surely cannot be that it docs not agree with him or ho with it.

"Recorder, U.T.R.C.," says: "I am not raising the qucstibn of hotel accommodation at all, •'. . I nor do I wish to open up tho subject of the cost of liquor consumed, cs it does not enter into our discussion at present." On both these mattcm I submit that the conclusions prceented in my list letter are essentially sound, and, whilst there Ihcro exceptions, these, as exceptions, only confirm what I have previously oxpresaed regarding them. I give my friend full credit for acting judiciously, if not judicially, in avoiding thom.

Other points arising in this discussion I .should like to have referred to,.and I may do so at another time with your permission; but I must consider your space, and already I think I hear a voice saying "This correspondence i 6 now closed," and so far as I am concerned I bow to it submissively before its dread sound reaches my ear. .Meantime 1 shall live 'in hopes of seeing my friend "Recorder, (XT.R.C.," endoreing ail mv opinions yet.—l am, etc.. August 29. A. B, C. [As "A. B. C." anticipated would be the case, this correspondence is now clot-orl— Ed. O.D.T.]