LICENSING STATISICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1576, 21 October 1912, Page 5

LICENSING STATISICS.

"Sir,—ln your column devoted to "Notes of tho Day" of Saturday's issue, you quote from the London "Eye-Witness" a curious table setting forth the average of onlicenses per 10,000 in the boroughs and counties of England, as against tho average of convictions for drunkenness per 10,000 population. Tho figures shoir, as you quote, an almost steady fall in the proportion of convictions as the proportion of public-houses increases. Now whatever the explanation of these figures may be—and one suspects that the "Eye-Witness" with its local knowledge could suggest the correct one if it cared— we in New Zealand, with the Police Court returns before us of Masterton, Ashburton, Oaraaru, Clutha, Invercargill, and other electorates under No-License, which records show that tho mere closing of a few bars promptly reduces, by an average of 74 per cent., not only arrests for drunkenness, but for a long list of. other offences, as well, we, I say, aro not prepared to accept an explanation which the "Eye-AVitness at least suggests, namely— that increased facilities for drinking means decreased drinking and drunkenness. Indeed it is recognised the world over by all classes of men, and nowhere more surely than in England, that increase in restriction of sale invariably implies decrease of drinking and drunkenness. Tho experience of Liverpool in August of last year during the great strike is a case in point, both interesting and worthy of note. Owing to the riots arising from the etrike, the Liverpool Justices issued an order for tho closing of the drink-shops of Liverpool and the immediate neighbourhood at 2 p.m. This order was enforced from August 18 to August 27, and so striking wero the results of this exerciso of prohibitory law that at the next meeting of the Licensing Committee a , report was adopted making most drastic' recommendations to tho Justices for tho permanent increase of restrictions on the sale of alcohol. Similar recommendations havo since been adopted by soveral Licensing Benches throughout the country, and will without a doubt have an influence on the next Licensing Bill. To quote briefly from (ho Liverpool experiment:— On the first Monday under early closing tho number of casss of all kinds at the Courts was 41; on tho corresponding Monday of, tho previous month, when the liquor shops were running fiill time, tho number was 180. On the second Monday with early closing the police cases, numbered only 2". whije the first. Monday of full time again sent the total tip to 234. Not the leist Significant feature pf £his Vtmarkaole, experiment is that no suggestion has beqtj fi;ade by "the Trade" tor compensation for this partial prohibition of. their business, the relation between tho ptiblic-hoUsp and disorder being too obvious .to allow of slieh a claim being tolerated, Thanking yoii, sir, in anticipation, for giving publicity to this phase of the subject,-*-! am, etc., S. G. HOABE.