CORRESPONDENCE. INVERCARGILL UNDER NOLICENSE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 85, 30 May 1911, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

INVERCARGILL UNDER NOLICENSE.

(To the Editor “Stratford Post.”) Sir,—-Some time ago I promised to show your readers how Invercargill has fared under No-liconso. I have now obtained a few official figures to show that this, tho fifth city of the Dominion, has progressed ahead of any town on a population basis. They have just let tenders for tho construction of trams for £75,000 and authorised for various works and improvements £52,000. In 1905-6 the corporation employed as staff 80 hands, in 1909-10 they employed 135, so that under No-liconso tho Council employed 55 more hands than they did under License. The following are the building permits issued by the Council for six years: —Ist July, 1905, to 30th Juno, 1906, £49,063; Ist. July, 1906, to 30th >; Juno, 1 1907, £41,896; Ist July, 1907, to 30th June, 1908, £46,780; Ist July, 1908, to 30th June, 1909, £28,421; Ist July, 1909, to 30th June, 1910, £45,687 ; Ist April, 1910, to 31st March, 1911, £62,371. Docs this show any want of public spirit under the present conditions ? Every shop in Dee Street (the principal street) is occupied, including all tho shops which occupy tho sites of old liquor liars. The capital value of the town in 1905 was £1,989.289, but has increased to £2,357,119 in 1911. The unimproved value has also gone up as follows: 1905, £768,525; and in. 1911 it had increased to £1,079,522. All these figures may bo verified by application to tho Mayor or Town Clerk of Invercargill. The point I seek to make is that No-licenso has no bad effect on the municipal or commercial welfare of tho town except to improve it considerably.—l am ,ctc., 3 C. D. SOLE.