NO-LICENSE STATISTICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 568, 24 July 1909, Page 10

NO-LICENSE STATISTICS.

;.;t.Sir,^Y6nr:s<sb^es^4i4!doßir 1 "Teetbtallor".. must bo Mrcshiiiglj.' simple;:.'if; hfr ;. 'thinks: issue' xli fi? 1 ?'- anjr!.! weight i, against the .No-Lioenso..-;...nwement, ,-' among /■ thonghftil Peopro'; ' ,Tp ; . say.\. that - tlio ..consumption. of kgiior|hiiS;g6no; tip .sinco. No-Liccnsc began ;pi;oyps,.nothing, against ;:No-License,i unless it •cm.:b6; shown .thEt'.thoVconsumptdon- has in- ' rarea'sed because;,of. No-Licerisej" and-'increased •'ill "No-License : arfeaS' inly: '1 Qf bourse/. "Tee-■^t'all^,V-.c^nnot'_prpve'.'': cbinK. .arS 1 npKayailafcle^ . cordis : . • but.; talciiig, the .. 'Convictions .'.for dniiikeinnesS,. a ( feaEo'nablo'.'argument maj be ; dr'a,yn/ therefromJtij-favourjof ffiey.-benefits ,accrang . from: No-Licenso. 'v TO.-: give Jpno . sample, which .."Teetotaller" • will admit -is indisputable; J. 167 , ;. Repbrtjof-.the Polico ■ Cominissiony ;'tho record. for Cluthaj the oldest -No-Licen so ."district, 'Three and a half years before. No-License, 146 convictions for.;drrak<ttinoss'; .'lor,'throe and a half ye?.rs, after ,No-L;censp,. '■ 6. - convictions. P' ,"ffeet6taller!!. wishes 'for anything.;betW ■ than- this "he is hard to please.'-; ! Given the samo. conditions in other : electorates,'- siinilar grAtifyiug. results will, follow.' . v.: • ■; quito forgets' that* tlio chier reason'-, for an' ''increased ! of. liquor, is'!duo.to prbspwous. .tim«s,'\.and' one is. saia : in • asserting with ilie "Sydney :Morning Herald"- 'that our drink; bill , would .havelbeen still .larger,' but ifor ; the. ■ offcct , Of. • several •No-Lieenso areas. • Lot, mo', provoc my, conton-. tiott by, quoting, from-.a-few- authorities; -none :of whom, cau be said'to unduly-.favour' NoLiccmse :—: •

figures;Wcre readied:"iri-1876 • cffocts; of •'the-' great, w^vo 1 of com'■medial: 'prosperity.-wbioHn&rkpd the':'seventies wore,', at. 'their' height), . : 'per capita'..'cbnsumpti<m:'ro'so.tO"4:B9>'gallons ol t>roof spirit/ With':the subsidence:.- of; /the commercial,'boosn,' the'consumption at once declined/'—'"The'-Temperancb Problem,'''' ty ItowntTee and Shcrwell.-- • .- , .

- : "The year 1875,' our-busiest- year,' was the most drunken of any recorded: "—"Labour and 'Drink," John (Burhs, 'M.'P; But in-casp /'Jeotdtallor'' . should complain tli€SO., rcfor^to/thoi I ,/will add a,'few antKorities'on New. Zealand ' '.: "A - very .marked, revival, of prosperity after 1896 the normal' effect-rthat people at once . begin .to- drink more..: The., process is slow,"hilt year',by'- 'year,'- steady.'.. .. . 'in 4ay .• be due. to anpncfease' of.-activity"by 'the/police in •keeping' thp'. streets/clear'.Y. Mainly," it •is in fcdnse^rience:' -of godd. '"/timeS.'!'—"State : • ».lt .jfr-op lp?s to-,1900, -as/.showii/ above,. the,bro™sp_rocecdG(l.at.aconsidcrablo'-rat<3, tho constimption'.por. head 'has adrancod from ■7.421 igallons to :9;150 gallons. No • (lonbt prosperous - times' have brought' about' this TOsiilt."—"N.Z;-.Y<»r Book," 1903, pa.go 265.''Instead - .of. contending,.,as some'partisans of ;thp.!imior; : .traffi.c.:do,. oh the whole havo been drinking more, just bccaijse the ; State, .through. .the. local option machinery,' has attempted .-.to 'make / them drink less, wo, should probablv ! J>o 1 much nea-ror- the fact: if wo referred .the increased dxink bill to the increased purchasing power of tho people, \in a time of general prosperity,, and assumed, •' as wo reasonably; :might, that, tlie bill Would havo booh "still larger in thp absence of the special rcsteictions."—"SydneyMorning/Herald," published shortly after our last 'iocal option'poll. - ■■; v '. '; Consideration for your valuable 'space pro.jvents mo ".writing imor.e' at. pr&ent';':but I think. I .','Tee-. •totaller's": principal - contention That NoLicenso is responsible for increased- drinking. —I am, ctc., ETA. > July 17,-1909.. • -