MORE THAN THEIR SHARE OF CRIME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18424, 9 December 1921, Page 8

MORE THAN THEIR SHARE OF CRIME.

One sixth of the population of New Zealand lives in no-lieense areas and fivesixths live in license areas. If the whole dominion was license, then we should expect to find that the districts which are now no-license would produce one-sixth of the total convictions and committals for crime. According, to those who denounce prohibition, we ought now to find that the no-license districts produce more than their share of these convictions, for booze advocates say abolishing booze increases crime. As a matter of fact, however, we find that it is the “wet” districts that produce more than their share of crime in New Zealand. They should not have more than five times the number of convictions to bo found in the no-license areas. Let the following official statistics from Vol. 1 of the Statistics for New Zealand speak for themselves; —

Thus we see that in every case the wet districts produce more- than their share of convictions and commitals, and in every case the no-license districts produce less—in some cases 80 per cent, less than their share. I! this happens under partial pro-hibition—-for liquor may be taken into nolicense areas—-is ft not reasonable to suppose similar effects may be anticipated if the whole of New Zealand is made “ dry ” under dominion-wide prohibition.—N.Z. Alliance Publicity. (18)

-g tj V .2 to .2 •2 k, y S pz 1020 —Con v ictiou 5 and coinmitals for thfc More Less than share. following offences: — cent. cent. Murder and manslaughter ... Attempted suicide ... •& Common assault 1 2 49 17 14 11 80 71 57 65 Sexual offences aB Against, persons and property IVkgery tand uttering 98 297 3 344 11 17 15 57 82 75 Prohibition orders ...1514 64 15 in 12 63 haviour Breaches of Licensing 88 16 80 Aot 2624 Destitute persons, 125 12 61 bastardy, etc 1812 Selling liquor without a license and other 28. 10 revenue law offences 169 2