NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 170, 18 July 1907, Page 2

NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —A short time ago an article appeared in your columns giving a visitor's report of the working of no-license in Invercargill." The opinion of the writer was that Invercargill was as bad, from a temperance standpoint, if not worse, than when under license. I sent the article to. tlie Rev. Robt. Ferguson, minister of the First Church, a gentleman well known to the Auckland public. I heard from him this week, and he enclosed a report from the Southland "'Daily News" of a meeting held to celebrate the first anniversary of the carrying oi no-license in that electorate, from which I make the following extracts:—"During the twelve months, fifty-seven new buildings had been erected in the town, and additions had been made to twenty-nice others, at ', a total cost of £42,000. " The general revenue had. increased by £10S2, the gas works receipts by £560, and the waterworks by Under license, the rates; from sixteen hotels had totalled £612, while under no-license the amount was £642. During the nine mouths previous to no-license, 94 males and 13 females had been convicted of drunkenness; during the same period since 74 males and one female, but during license threefourths of the people convicted obtained their liquor in Invercargill, but during the past nine months seventy-four persons out of the seventy-five procured the liquor in outside electorates, so that out of the 10,000 convictions for drunkenness in the colony, only one can be correctly charged to Ivereargill. During the lirst quarter after no-license came into force, the deposits in the Savings Bank showed an increase of £10.000; it is expected 1 that the June returns will show another j £10,000 increase. The Southland Build-' ing Society had a record year, the turn- i over having increased £42.000 during the' year." These facts show that when the : peoples losing banks are closed, it is a great public benefit. The following resolution was passed by the inverearsrill Ministers' Association:—"At the conclusion of the first year of no-license in the Invercargill electorate, we, as an association, desire to place on record our , high j appreciation of the many benefits (moral,! social, and economic) accruing from the ! prohibition of the public sale of liquor j in our town. We feel sure that the cause of good citizenship has been greatly furthered by the new regime. We anticipate that, under the reign of no-license, this moral and material progress will be maintained in an ever-increasing ratio; and this we the more confidently predict"; should the glaring anomalies iv the pre- I sent regulations be abolished. We con- j gratulate the temperance party on the! success that has so conspicuously crowned their efforts; and pray that"the day may soon come when the surroundina electorates will share the advantages which i Invercargill now enjoys." It is well j known that the liquor party have strain- j ed the law by establishing beer depots ! on the. boundary, and have a judgment of | ths Supreme Court in their favour. By! this action they have given additional i evidence of their subordination of every j consideration to that of sordid pelf. It is hoped that the Premier will not tamely | acquiesce in the people being robbed or their victory, won by a three-fifths handicap.— I am, etc., R. FRENCH.