NO LICENSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 246, 10 July 1908, Page 4

NO LICENSE.

Sir,—Your correspondent who deals with the liquor question in this morning's issue, from tho standpoint of the trade, mentions me by name. You will, of course, allow mo to reply that. I never ask anyone, to accept my unsupported statements as to the effects of No-Licenso. But having lived in Clutha for three years (1871-4), Port Chalmers two years (1875-6), and luvercargill threo years (1887-90), and, with the lniowlcdgo derived from repeated visits during tho past 17 years, I ask those who douf>t to accompany mo. I have tried to induce one bishop, several clergymen^and many others to go. To Mr. W. W. Collins, when he and I debated in tho Opera House, I suggested tho terms I liavo mentioned to the others—viz., that we should advertise our intention to come, tho names of halls, etc., in which we would be present on given dates, at hours announced, to hear' what any would toll us. That we should alsQ call together on residents, that neither should speak to anyone if ho.could help it, during the visit, except in the presence of the, other, and never without giving tho other on opportunity to speak to the person.' Several other conditions on these lines were suggested. Mr. Collins said to the audience, with the Hon. Kennedy Macdonald in the chair: "I. accept Mr.. Isitt's • chal- : lengo,- and tho conditions he suggests;" But, •though I named threo dates at some months ' intervals, none of. them suited Mr. Collins. After. 30 days from now, I am still willing to go with an opponent of No-License, not ■only to Clutha, but to luvercargill, Mataura, Oamaru, and Ashbu'rfcon, though' I should bo compelled'to make the visits shorter than they-should be, because of the pressure of work, which is very heavy as the date of tho local option poll draws near. The editor of tho Otago " Daily Times" promised to send a reporter if anyone accompanied me at tho time I refer to, and would probably do so now.—l am, etc., FRANK W. ISITT. ' July 1.