Prohibition and Mr Lysnar.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 548, 18 October 1902, Page 2

Prohibition and Mr Lysnar.

(To the Editor of the Times)

Sir, —I foul greatly indebted to Mr Crawford for opening up the above quos. tion, but am sorry to find ho has himself fallen into tho snare set for tho unwary, lio says : “Thoughtful peoplo will carefully weigh the mass of (Mr LysnarV) evidence,” which is the \cry thing Mr Crawford has not done. Mr Lysnar’s nine recommendations for bolstering up a “ licensed to sell ” liquor trade, only shows the wild wanderings of a youthful intellect, and tho confusion that would bo created in commercial life by the adoption of any one of these nine points would be infinitely greater than by accepting “no licenso.” “ The Trade ” lias shown itself over and again incapable of keeping within tho law. Not that the publicans have any desire to break the laws, but tho very exigencies of tho trade demand it; therefore, the publicans shouid bo relioved as much as pos* sible in this matter. Now, as to Mr Lysnar’s facts, tho misrepresentations of the Glufcha.records aro perfectly astounding to all thoughtful minds, and tho uttuck that is persistently mudo upon a respectable citizen and storekeeper is not British fair play. All thut is uoodod is the whole truth ; but to accuse a gentleman of bolstering up his business by slygrog selling, just bicause he did a licigfiooiiy kindness, is, to say tho least of it, a graceless way of putting it. It is well, no doubt, lor both parlies, that Mr Lysnar is at a respi ctable distance from Mr Guest. V great deal ot capital is mado out of tho fact that the property valuation? decroasod considerably just at the time of “ no license ” vote in Clutlia, but anybody could tell Mr Lysnar the reason why. One thing alone will bo sufiiciont to mention, viz., the gold dredging boom, which attracted not only all the floating population, but whole families left the district to join in tho chaso after gold. What happened to Gisborne from 1885 to 1895 or later, when properties decreased in valuo to one-third of what they had been ? Bufc what had hotel-licenses to do with it *? Tako Napier at tho present time. Is it for want of licenses to sell liquors that tho population is floating away, and property values are going down ? I believe tho sumo number of licenses exist as for many years past, and it is plainly evident that noithor licenses or no-licenscs havo anytuing to do with tho variations in property values. Mr Lysuar, however, took a lot of trouble to provo that it so happoned in Clutha, but he was careful not to quoto from the present official year book, which says that from 1891 to 1902 tho capital valuations had risen from X 1,151,010 to X 1,238,933, an increaso of nearly XBB.OOO, and that tho Borough taxation had bcon reduced sinco tho “ no-lieenso ” was carried Od in the X* Why did not Mr Lysnar mention this reduction tho other evening? Docs this, not annihilate tho valuation bogio ? Another fact ? Mr Lysnar says that a no-license vote would make men poorer ; but a little later ho loses his memory and tolls us that wagea would go up. Please, Mr Crawford, is this food for thoughtful people ? Again, if “ uncontrollable drinkiug habits can be restrained,” and if “ tho polico havo under the present system full control of ‘the traffic,” why is it that our gaol can show to the contrary ? Would it not bo better to cease educating uncontrollablo habits ? In Mr Crawford’s own words, “ Gisborne is progressive,” and it will not stop short of a “no licenso ” vote, and a better regulation against temptations to drink and waste of hard-earned money. Will Mr Crawford or Mr Lysnar kindly answer this: Why should a man bo mado t > pay fid for a drink ? Why am I not allowed to sell thut which tuon require to drink ? Why should hotels bo compoliod to pay a licenso fee, while a grocer, butcher, or ironmonger do not? If this drink is wanted it should bo had at tho lowest possible price, the same as eatablos. One other point, sir, and I have done. Mr Lysnar attempted to belittle Mrs Harrison Lee’s sentiment respecting tho loss of one child in every hundred. Now, I suppose it would not mattor much .whoso child it might bo as long as it was not Mr Lysnar’s; and to say that under no license a much larger loss would occur, appears a monstrous assertion to any hard-headed, no-license man; but tfaon, Mr Lysnar has not the same kind of head as a no licensist—so ho says. It must therefore be, Give tho the hard-heads something better, Mr Crawford.—l am, etc.,

James East.