THE REVENUE QUESTION.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 785, 17 November 1922, Page 5

THE REVENUE QUESTION.

(By J. W. Olphert, M.A., F.R.E.S.). In the New York State Hospitals in 1910 alcohol appeared in 60 per cent of the men and 20 per cent of the women as a cause of insanity or as a habit disorder amongst the 5,245 patients admitted for the first time from whom positive statements of the use or non-use of alcohol were secured. (Report of N.Y. State Board of Lunacy, 1911). In the Norristown. Pa., State Hospital for Insane (April Ist, 1907-April Ist, 1909), of 520 new male patients, alcoholism was one factor in 46 per cent of the cases (C. R. McKinness, M.D.). Dr. A. M. Beattie, of the Auckland Mental Hospital, has stated positively “That directly or indirectly 40 per cent of the insanity is due to drink.” In 1920 the net cost of the New Zealand Mental Hospitals was £237,122. Who pays the 40 per cent of this? Not the Liquor Traffic. An investigation carried out in the United States in 1899 with 13,402 convicts in 17 prisons in 12 States, found that 50 per cent of the crime was due to drink. The same investigation dealt with poverty coming under the view of charity organisations and societies dealing with adults, and referred to 29,923 cases. It found that 25 per cent of poverty was due to drink. It dealt also with 8,420 inmates of aimhouses in 50 institutions in 10 States, and found that 37 per cent of pauperism and 45.8 per cent of child misery was due to drink. Who pays the cost of similar institutions in New Zealand? Not the Liquor Traffic.

That there is a decided relation between drink and. crime is shown by the figures for 1920, taken from Yol. 1 of the official statistics for New Zealand, and from Parliamentary Return H 37 for 1921 (concerning NoLicense districts).

In 1920 in the License distridts there were 140 convictions embracing the above offences. Who pays liquor’s share of the cost of crime in New Zealand? Not the Liquor Traffic. Estimated on the basis of the percentages given in these articles it costs the country £1,367,000 to clean up the wreckage caused by the Liquor Traffic. The largest revenue “received” from the Traffic was £1,359,856 for the year ending March 31st, 1922. So how much better off are we? Only the ignorant and the foolish honestly believe that any real revenue is derived from the ihquojp Traffiic. —(To be smatiaed).

Case? s reported Convictions and Nature of Offence. to police. Gommitals. Wet No-License Wet No-License . 27 nil 17 nil . 19 nil 19 nil . r> nil 5 nil Abortion, attempt at . in nil 9 nil . (; nit ' 5 nil . . 6 nil 5 nil Robbery and Stealing' from person . . 9 nil 9 nil . s nil 6 nil . in nil 8 nil . 22 nil 21 nil Keeping Brothels & Disorderly House s 37 nil v 28 nil . 9 nil 8 nil