NO-LICENSE & LIQUOR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14329, 20 October 1910, Page 6

NO-LICENSE & LIQUOR.

To the Editor of the "Timaru Herald." Sir,—ln your issue of 14th inst,, Mr ~ Sthison must not mistake his little chip J ; for the whole mountain of truth. I | am not. mistaken when I thiuk that his people judge their efforts by the number oi lioteks, closed irrespective or what may happen. I corrected the. misleading inference in his lirst letter and his reply then admitted by way of a guess that only double the quantity notified found its way into no license districts. Mr T. E. Taylor in | the same way in Parliament treated 1 the notified figures as the total quantities consumed in no license districts, j It is a strong characteristic of those 1 connected with no license to hide j facts, tell half truths, and make misleading statements and exaggerate as if deception were allowable for their cause. I remember several champions of no' license in 19DS when away south or north making statements about Ashburton which, were uuthing short of lies, but when at horns in Ashburton, they were silent as to its sobriety and prosperity. It is useless guessing or working on supposition of the extra quantities carried in daily as alluwed by law, and smuggled in, to make a calculation of what really is consumed in nn license districts. The fact remains, that since IS9S, when there was but one no license district, to 1909 with twelve no license districts, the increased consumption is 10s 6d per head on the increased population. and notwithstanding the fact that the no license vote has increased 11:! per cent, whilst the vote for the continuance of license 'lias only increased 33 per cent. This increased consumption cannot be putdown to districts where liquor is tinder control, and Mr Stinson must not forget that a big tally of the quantities supposed to be consumed in no license districts is guzzled by those in dry areas paying frequent visits across the border, besides buying quantities to carry and smuggle in. I doubt that there has been 350.000 or a 50 per cent, increase in the population of New Zealand in fifteen years, hut if so will allow that no-, license must have bred most of them, as they have evidently done more than their share to increase the Drink Hill 10s 6d per head on the increased no. license vote. Mr f-tin-suii's contention that the drink hill is increased by thousands of people annually coming to New Zealand from countries where they .-ire cursed with drinking habits far' worse than New Zealandors. is poor and unkind, yet it is charitable enough for one imbued with the no license fanaticism and equally unreasonable. To agree with .Mr Stinson one must believe that onlv those addicted to drink in England. Ireland, and Scotland emiarate to New Zealand to continue their over intlul- • gence and so materially increas" the drink bill per head as the figures indicate. "When he cannot verv well . blame the license districts for the increased consumption he indirectly attributes the increased consumption tc those asked to increase the population or New Zealand, many of whom must nave voted no license. Mr Stinson ' says that I forget that the tendency ; ot the open /bar is to demoralise our youth. That may be Mr Sanson's opinion. I think that no license means illicit traffic and that the qualities of liquor imported as notified cirried individually per day and smutr-icd in raafca no license a farce. When liquor is sold contrary to law in sly-"rn-» Bhcps instead of in accord with "law under license, and when the law is openry and frequently broken it creates a spirit of deception and hypocrisy winch undermines the foundations ot morality and docs net ini- ; Press upon the youth the sorry cor- ' sequences of drunkenness. and secret drinking is thc result. Mr fcuinson would have his youth sneaW to slj grog shops and with other* ,■„,,- at, exorbitant rates, and importing quantities to guzzle in the rive S lake the case ot the four hoys in Oa ul l ■ aru in February 1909, when they con- • sumoda case of whisky in lessen i ~ V ! \" i al \ othe , r in less than -' ck' n, e t k a, ! d ; ' i? rrel beer *>»» ™» Piously. These youths would • never have been able to make gluttons ot themselves at the open liar, and nil hotelkoopers personal ,espon s ibilitv and public duty prevents drunkenness on the premises or serving thos» in- , toxicnted. Then why should the hotel- • ™!. per bo ° llts:<le t!ie i ,ale »f i«stk-e any more than any other business man ' J , Especially when he is controlled bv •'. representative licensing committee, and the brewers are morally and commercially right to promote business in the proper channel 0 r license bv oontribu- , ting to light against no-license Education, social intercourse and the demands oi athletics and general employment and success in business where liquor is under control, will <lo moe for temperance than no-license, ami not interfere with anyone's liberty. You cannot force people: vou mav lead them, and no-license is no solution of the hquor habit in any country. There is-no necessity for .Mr Stinson to ramble all over the world to con- ; Vln , c< \ - S * en ' Zcala "ders that no-license will benefit this country. Australia and New Zealand are sober and temperate people compared with other countries. Saloons have been voted out in America, hut the consumution of nguor is greater than ever "it was. ; Eilty years ago the annual consumpj t;on of alcoholic drinks was four galj lons per head in America, whilst to-clay I it is 20 gallons per head with half the States "dry." Mr Stinson says that license advocates cannot account for ' the favourable police court returns in no-hcense districts. What about last years returns for Oamaru and the iirst years of no-license in Invereargill, or take summonses for debt in Ashburton ■ and other offences there. Convictions ■ ior crimes do not show such a tendency ■ J to decrease, though convictions ior , ' drunkenness which can only be regard- • I ed as against the unfortunate himself , ; are less, and it is in this connection Mr I Stinson says my explanation is absurd and amusing and are worth cabling to j New South Wales. You Mould be late i Mr Stinson. for ] have written much to Sydney to refute the statements of Messrs Nieholls and Co. in N.S.W.. and these champions of no-license cannot laugh at their results now. Let mo tell you I have seen drunkards in Oamaru every time I have been there, clergymen's and mayor's statements to Use contrary notwithstanding. And in Ashburton I have seen leading uokeeiLso enthusiasts buttonhole drunkards in the streets walking, and m spring carts, and get them out of the way or drive back into a yard, and teen occasional drunkards "with bicycles as good as a circus escape arrest. I can give names to the editors ' of co-license champions in Ashhurton who "shepherd" drunks in the daytime to save convictions, and residents of Ashhurton can give ninny such instances. There's no happy thought, inspiration or original idea about my in-> formation. Mr Stinson should ask Rome of liis friends in Ashhurton who do so much to hide and dry-nurse drunkards to reduce convictions for drunkenness and sly grog dens; keep ; them until late at night when they can risk getting home the best way I they enn. Farmers' wives and others

used to be able to find their husbands, but they cannot always do s-, now. aud the same must apply more or 1i ss to'all no-license districts. Kvcry intelligent broadiniiided person knows that no-liwuse is a farce and failure. Accommodation is no good, tlii Oamaru Harbour Board is insolvent, and Ashburton has mere than its share ot old age pensioners, but I need say no more. I am, etc..

THOMAS HITCHES Waimate, 10th October.