DRINK STATISTICS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 206, 8 November 1909, Page 5

DRINK STATISTICS.

j Some statistics nintir-K to drunkenness and sly grog srilinß are contained in the annual report of the Commissioner of Police for the year ending, March 31. The number of persons charged with drunkenness »n 1908 was 9637 males and 786 females, against 9368 males and 835 females in 1907. First offenders numbered 5630 males and 210 females; second offenders 1322 males and 71 females; third offenders 755 males and 55 females; fourth offenders 529 males and 41 females; fifth offenders 335 males and 49 females. Of the whole total 867 ■ were members of crews of vessels in port. The figures resting to arrests in the four centres, arc: Auckand and suburbs 1348 males, 165 females •-increase 22 males; Wellington and suburbs 2091 males, 185 femalesdecrease 268; Christcburch and suburbs 651 males, 108 females—decrease 198; Doncdin and suburbs 708 males, 62 females-increase 103. Prosecutions against hotelkeepers showed a decrease as compared with 1907 from 225 to 77. There were 158 prosecutions during the year for sly-grog selling, resulting in 127 convictions, against 182 prosecutions and 125 convictions during the prececding year. "Tbe difficulty experienced in former yea's in securing evi jence in sly grog selling cases still obtains." says the Commissioner, "and it is only by having recourse to methods which are repugnant alike to the public, the police, and those who assist tbe latter that the evidence to warrant prosecutions can be obtained. On the whole, sly grog selling is kept in check, but if more severe penalties were inflicted better results would ensue."