The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1904. NO-LICENSE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12508, 21 October 1904, Page 2

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1904. NO-LICENSE.

Ihe lucubrations of the Legislative Council on the Licensing Bill are not of much mteiest, as the Upper Chamber appears to Lave almost completely divested itself of r.ny pretence at revisory functions, ■mdcr the fear of a conflict with the House >f Representatives in the event of any material alterations being made in t!.e Bill. In all important essentials, tbereoie, the measure will probably emerge rom the Council practically identical with the form in which it left the House. The ■iasco which, is now being enacted only ,'ivcs another proof, if further proof were needed, of the subjection to which the Chamber that ought to exercise the power >f revision, has been reduced by the Prenier's system of nominee membership. Any suggestion that may be made in .the Legislative Council for a Variation in the Licensing Bill that has already been agreed to by the House of Representatives, is promptly quashed by the Attor-ney-General's reminder that "the Premier will probably refuse to proceed with the Bi'd unless it is swallowed in its entirety by the Upper House, and the reminder, or threat, whichever one likes to call it, has proved quite effective throughout the debate. It is, therefore, not to be .expected that the licensing legislation which will be placed on the statute book thi* session will embody the sound principle if prohibition in districts where prohibiiin has been carried by the required three-fifths majority. Prohibition has. is a matter of expediency, been abaulor.cd in favour of the newer type of :ef.,rm now generally known as no-license. The Xew. Zealand Alliance, and its subsidiary branches, have declared in favour of the extinction of the open bar, >nd the retention of the right of private drinking. The final result of the two -ystems must, however, be the same. Xo-iicense, if carried in every district, nust-spell prohibition, and those who vote "or no-license, with the comfortable feeling hat in the event of its being carried hey will still be able to indulge their ■asto for' alcoholic liquet by stocking a ijiv.it* lnrder, may find, that in the end hey will themselves be compelled to prac-i-.e that sell-denial which they are quite ea.ly to impose on others less bountifully ndowed with this world's goods than they •re. We do not often quote the Hon. J. M. Twomey as an authority, but we -annot see any escape from his contention that the carriage of no-license all over he colony would effectually put an end :o the buying and selling of liquor in any ■part of it. At present it is unlawful "o sell stimulants in Ashburton, but there is nothing to prevent a resident in the Ashburton district from going elsewhere for supplies which he is at perfect liberty *o take home with him into his no-license area. But if he were nnable to find a district in which it was still lawful to sell iKohol, the supplies for his private cellar would at once inn dry. Of course, he would still be able, if be chose, to press ;is own grapes, or utilise the blackberry latch in bis>*>wn garden, as a. stout supporter in Timaru ol the liberty of the subject who yet upholds the banner of no-liccuse, recently declared his inalienible right of doing. But every man does not want to be his own brewer, and even if he were willing to go to the trouble >f setting up a vat or-a still, his efforts at producing a palatable decoction would prvibably not be very successful. Howtv?r. that is the prospect wiich ultimately faces those who are not prepared 'o abjure the use of alcoholic liquor, and who yet cast their votes in favour of no'icensi. They may just as well face the position that, in the long run they will ai've to do without their luxuries, or else 50 to the inconvenience of manufacturing hem for themselves. At present, the no:icense voter, who has helped to do away with hotels in his district-, is -under no serious disabilities in regard to the gratification of his desires: He has only to send away a few miles, and he can get ill the liquor he wants. That this course is being followed every day in such districts as Ashburton is thoroughly well known to everybody who has been through one of* them, but a return presented to the House of Representatives on Wednesday shows, to some extent, the encouragement that no-license gives to the home consumption of alcohol. This return shews the quantities of liquor cr-rrisd by rail into Ashburton during the last, year of licetse and the first year of no-license, A decrease is shown in the large consignments, which were probably sent to hotels wien licenses were in force, and an increase in the small packets, which presumably were despatched to the order of private individuals. The number of cases of beer fell from 675 to 468. and the number of hogsheads from 829 to 155. But :ho number of kegs increased from 76 to 615. and of kilderkins from 3 to 250, while 39 jars and 8 casks went in tinder no-licensj against no jars and 3 casks under license. In regard to spirits, the number of cases fell from 1207 to 731. and half-casks from 85 to 11. but jars increased from 50- ' ib 256. This return, of couise, gives-no (ally of the quantities of liquor that" ate. .personally introduced into the district people who visit neigh- ' bouring townships where hotels exist,' ■>itcn with no other object in view but the purchase of beer aad spirits. The figures dven by the return, however, probably indicate fairly accurately the capacity of :he comfortably situated residents of the district who are able to keep cellars of iheir own. Nb-license in their particular district enables tbem to view the abolition of the hotels with unconcern, but we should probably hear more from them if universal no-license cut off the generous quantities that they have been quietly consuming.