SUCCESS Of NO-LICENSE IN ASHBURTON.

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10451, 28 October 1904, Page 3

SUCCESS Of NO-LICENSE IN ASHBURTON.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —It is extremely gratifying to> find from the Government return, just published that no-license has succeeded so we!l in reducing: the consumption of alcoholic liquors in: Ash burtonHere are the figures in gallons and pounds: Beer! 49,115 20,4-50! 28,665 Cost consumer £9823 £4090 £5733 Spirits 4044 2172' 1872 Cost, consumer £6470 £3475 £2995 Now there is a club in Ashburtoni with a iifeiinbership of 600. If this ctuibi supplies as much liquor to. its' members as say the; "Wellington Working Men's Cjl-u-bi itl w|orksi out thuja: — iWeUington Working Mien's Club beer eales for 1902 were at even figures, £8000 (£3946 for the 6 months ending June 30th to be exact). At that time there were 900 members- This works out at an average expenditure of £8 17s 9d per member per annum. (AfißiiljluJi-toni cluibi (COO members) at. the Nu-nic rate would consume £5332 worth of liquor- piecing 1 that- the toUil cost, tol the consumer of liquor imported into Ashburton in the no.license year was £7565. when the club share, i.e., £5332 is deducted, there is left only the sum of £2233 for the total spent in 12 months.'in iAshburfon ouitjsiide the club. This compares ivieiy ilav'olr'abily with the gum spent outside in the license year, viz., £10,961, and is practically a; red;uction io> -one fifth- Of course, this assumes that the average drinking in the Ashburton club is as heavy as that of the Wellington WIM- Club. Aibsolute accuracy in the quantities :s also impossible, as some of the pa'A.nges mentioned vary in size. For all practical purposes, however, it will bo found near enough. As the hooks of the P-O. Savings Bank of Ashbiurton, according to the "Southern Cross,'" show that 500 more new accounts were opened last year than in any lielenso 1 'fear fcuidi the deposit® ;n----wciased by £44,000, it isi evident that a good deal of money is going into safer and more profitable hands than those of the publican.—l am, etcG. BERNARD' KIICHOLLS. Otago agent N'.Z- Alliance, Dunedin-