The Drink Harvest. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2804, 11 December 1907, Page 89

The Drink Harvest. TO THE EDITOR.

Sik,— The past month's drink record is black and horrifying enough, and so strongly condemnatory of the licensed liquor system that it must strike terror and loathing into the heart qL^ the most inveterate liquorite. 'Tis saidof the citizens of ancient Rome that " unless they saw the blood of their fellow humans freely poured out they considered life dull and monoton,-. oue." Here, then, let the appetites of all electors of the Dominion of Naw Zealand craving for modern gladiatorial slaughter be satiated by beholding the heaps of the elain victims*"' of the liquor traffic. Behold' the desolated homes and characters, the tarnished reputation^ and spoiled opportunities of many, the absolute ruin of rh« bodies and souls of brothers and sisters, and that by the licensed sale of drink, sane* tioned and legalised by their" votes ! The November record is: — Murder 2", suicide 1, deaths 3 men, attempted suicide 2, manslaughter 1, woman drowned 1. man. drowned I,' men killed "2. threatening liveq of wives 2 ; breaches Licensing Act — B& publicans 4, by others 2 ; divorce 1 ; arson. 1 ; drunkenness^ Woman 2, first offender* 30, others 56.— total 88; prohibition orders 14, breach of prohibition orders 6, other cases 36. — total 168. For the six months June to November, inclusive, there have been recorded in tno' Qtago Daily Times over SO yavda of closeJjfc, printed matter relating to drink-causecfc disaster, trouble, crime, and death — over] 1800 inches of human misery and degra'da*] tion ! •It would not be exaggerating' ot, untrue, nor vet too strong, tb -say * stream] of human blood 150 ft long. Six months' totals are as under: — - - •' Murders .. .. ,„ -.-., r .-, rr w -. 2 Manslaughter -.- £,- 8 • -, n i Suicides .. .. „, o . .» ,-., vj, 9r 6 Drink deaths „ , J „ U Attempted suicides ..;..... 7 Narrow escape death . . * 8 Breaches of the act by publicans .. 28 Breaches of the act by others . . . . 42 Drunkenness — women 51, first offenders 194, others 288 £3 Assaults, thefts, and vagrancy • ■ j-j 5 Obscenity and indecency „ ..i r~i 3 Prohibition orders ..-■ !;• 6 Breach of orders .♦. ♦ .» .. 4 Illicit selling license districts .. 2 Illicit s».ling no-hcense districts ..< -. ! Other cases .. .. .. .* « 1* Total I<»s Alcohol is responsible for the above awful toll, and .«o long as the drug is sold and! used, so long must the community reajrf similar results. — I am, etc., Sandy M'Togo.

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