THAT THIRST.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 777, 20 October 1922, Page 5

THAT THIRST.

ITS HUMAN COST. (By J. W. Olphert M A., F.R.ES), The whole history of the liquor traffic in, New Zealand has been characterised by self-satisfied arrogance and callous disregard of the interests and welfare not only of the people who feed it fat, but also of the nation at large. It would seem that the truly colossal profits reaped by the (Trade have blinded it to the merits and deserts of every other section of the community hut its own selfish sd!f. The Liquor Traffic, as a traffic has never lifted a finger or spent a penny to reiieve the widespread misery and suffering that it ha From S l9iß-1920. 23,158 convictions (excluding Maoris) were registered in New Zealand for drunkenness alone. This is nearly twenty times the population of Pukekohe it Is equal to the combined population of Gisborne and Napier; it is twice the population of Hamilton and Frankton, and is nearly four times the number of vaSld votes cast in Franklin at the last election. It is idle and futile of the liquor advocates to argue that the greater number of these convictions were registered against the same persons for of the 8225 arrests in 1920, 5195 were against distinct persons. But this is &ot all. Associated with the same 8225 a’Tests, 1440 charges were dealt with as follows : Offence. No. of 1 Convictions. Common assuait 75 The St— 37Wilful damage 129 Assaulting resisting or obstructing police 106 Indecent, riotous, or offensive sive conduct 147] Obscene, threatening, or abusive language 342 Vagrancy —. 45 Breaches of by-laws i 34 Breaches of Licensing Act .... 342 Prohibition orders issued 147 The Liquor Traffic has had many years to justify its existence, but it has studiously refused to put its house in order and now it must go_ Prohibition is to the nation what the life buoy is to the cl rowing man. Prohiboiiion is to the Liqour Traffic what the hangman’s rope is to the murderer.-