DOES ASHBURTON DRINK MUCH?

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 938, 4 October 1910, Page 5

DOES ASHBURTON DRINK MUCH?

7:- r _C t^-,^egraph.^raß3^Ae46ciaticm.) ■'■"•. ;•"; v> :!;; v '' pjQ.'i-->; "-Ashburtqn, October ':■s.}■: v-v/Ajxynt; a : V."Gi ; Day, : ,;,:jnagistrate,. stated "at; Timarii.when';deal- : ing -with;a casei of drunkenness tha't- there -'"ere probably more.' temptations "in' ; a ;. -o prohibition -' district ..than uiV licensed , ; dls-' . tnots, and; that his-,experience" had led ; . ,!um to;-:believe'.; wassliquor : in pra'o. •;:- tioally every:, house, in; a" Nc-|license dis- .;;- tnct, and that ttvdipsomaniac would have "■■.•■"wany) opportunities ; for secret' ■■ drinking. '■■■ '■■"'■ , S l .; view ,; , an ! indignation:- meeting, .■:.,'wh^/.>wmv.be-v-held~ , -in-".rAshburtoh , --;to-. ;> mgnt,va •,Guardian";representative in:;;temewed;:Mr;; thatie" had . besnvasked., to " attend "the meeting' . ;bnt, bemg.a magistratei- could not -accede , " the request. .The.:case which' he had :■;■ oad;before;him;at Tiih'aruvwas' an :'ex- •':. fr?™ .°ae,'and ;the esparience- which he- ; badigamed at,Ashburton", in, his position :■■■: 08. jmagistrate, ) respecting : ■ liquor ; gener- . .?«ny,:.prompted; hiin;-:to:-':conseientiously : ■-.". make the.remarks;which- the .No-Lioense' ~ party-were .objecting to/'. The' .opihion ; : ;:,wnicli,he expressed-was* directed -only, to' • the.:case,:whioh he .had before:him,'' and . , : vffas,neyer ; intended; as a reflection on , the' :>-^. o^ in ß,-!*f ■; No-LicenseV in; any .district/' . ,iiie luntortunate: woman in question was ovdipsdmaniao,; and.'he . believed "she ! would- look:, for liquor in;: heaven." ;v; It - Wasabsurd. for anyone: to say that'there .. wM-.nofia-.gwat. deal of- drinking in Ash- '■■■ J nr J on .- :: -- In : :s npport:-of'thisVhe could say. .: that ,3000. notices of deliv«ry'-.-6f liquor to .: Ashburton,residents, had .'passed 'through' thehands of the clerk of the Court dur;.;ing:the' r past six months, independently 'of quantities 'that were, brought"- in in ••• J .oth«r. ways;-'.' , -:•:.■'■■.'■.■.•■;•.•■;"■.•.■■■.■■■.■■■■■•■•'.•' ;.,-. ; : ; ."It; is :not for me/'/said Mr.. Day; "to ■- .fidvance-an opinion, .regarding the work- ."- ing of JNo-License;. in 'Ashburtpn or'■other : eimilarly: restricted areas, ,, but I would -'■'•' l?™.;a comniission: appointed by the- ; ; .ernmcnt.-.to go: thoroughly into the niat- ;. ter,.and,obtain the. opinions- of medical: - inen : and,others''wh6 : are:in a-position to' ~ give unquestionable, evidence' bearing on the .problem. If: the.-No-Lioense; party ; ; think- that I•: made -the remarks objected , , to for. the purpose of -general.application,it. is .'perfectly at liberty, to do so, and if. the cap. fits ,:the No-License 'party can ..wear, it;- The.-Timaru:'footballers,' who ■were in'Ashburtonsorae little time back freely-, stated;'.that they : had bought a .-.;:.number.-.: of:, bottles of whisky from sly \/\ grog-sellers, and,., when ■ a person" wit-' -: liquor .being: consumed, he ;. must believe",the evidence of his- own : ;eyes.';--;-:;-;■ y,--..-• ;■: ... ; /- : --:-.; ■

Np-LIOENSE: PEOPLE INDIGNANT, viv;> .;/ Vi, : Ashburton, Ootober .3. An indignation meeting, convened by the; No-License.League, was held tonight, to .protest' against the- statements olade in ; Titniru by Mr. V. G. -Day.ttie Magistrate; -"JThe-. meeting was largely attended,: and was addressed by Mr. Poole, M.P., and the Rev. W. J. Williams, of Oaniaru. The following resolution . was ■ declared carried . unani-'i mbnsly.—"That thie meeting, of electors and adult residents of Ashburton district emphatically denies the statement made by Mr. V. G. Day, Stipendiary Magistrate, so fir as such statement applies to this electorate, that (1) 'there rae probably more temptations in prohibition districts than in licensed districts,' a*d; (2) .'that there is liquor in' practically every house in a No-License district/ This meeting considers that these statements are utterly misleading and fallacious so far ae Ashburton is concerned, where total abstinence from in.toxicating liquors largely prevails, and where, ivith the abolition of the Open bar, facilities for obtaining alcoholio beverages, have been reduced to an esteiit hardly conceivable to. people JiViig in licßE£«d areaa."- .