A DEE STREET BUSINESS MAN.

Southland Times, Issue 20633, 3 November 1928, Page 3

A DEE STREET BUSINESS MAN.

To the Editor. Sir, —Replying to a few of the arguments that have arisen on this question, I would firstly like to question the correctness of a statement made, I believe, by Mr Baxter regarding the money spent in license as against no-license areas. I believe the figures quoted were £7 as against 19/10 respectively, and I must presume that the figures of expenditure in the no-license area of 19/10 were gained from statistics compiled from the Courts’ records of permits to purchase liquor. This must be so, and I maintain this is entirely misleading, as one has to take into consideration the liquor consumed by our residents outside that obtained under permit. It has been my experience and I know, as I visit the outlying towns of Southland far more than Mr Baxter, that there is a very much larger quantity of liquor brought into Invercargill without permit than that brought in under permit. Then we have the amount of money spent by Invercargill residents at the hotels on the outskirts of our town and having gained a fair knowledge of this, I consider that the difference between the figures as quoted by Mr Baxter is easily made good,, proving as everyone knows who has eyes and will us them that there is just as much money spent per head of the population of Invercargill on liquor as any licensed area, and moreover, I think you will find that a larger percentage of hard liquor, whisky, etc., is consumed here than any average licensed town.

We must recognize that no-license does not prohibit, and under these circumstances we must consider as business men, which is going to be of better use to our town, at present we have no benefit whatever from the large expenditure and no control of the traffic, which is exeedingly bad for everyone.

The argument raised by the no-license party, of the young boys being dragged into .hotels, is an exceedingly weak one, when one is conversant with things as they are in our town at present. I am a father and I can honestly say that any youngster is far better off in a controlled hotel where he is before the public to some extent, than as at present being dragged into some torrid whisky or keg party, under cover of darkness.

I maintain that the old futile arguments of the no-license party regarding the condition of our town 22 years ago under license is mere eyewash, as conditions have changed out of sight. In the first place, I understand there was somewhere about thirty hotels before no-license in Invercargill with less population than it has to-day, and with restoration twelve licenses at the outside will be all that will be granted, also the control of hotels was not to be compared with the exceedingly strict control over hotels to-day. To sum up, licenses in Invercargill will mean mostly, that the consumption of liquor will be done decently and in the light of the day, not as at present in the darkness of smuggling, bootlegging sly-grog-ging, etc., also we shall have decent accommodation to offer our visitors, and better business for our residents.—l am, etc., RESTORATION.

Owing to pressure on our space letters occupying over a column have been held over until Monday.—Ed. S.T.