CORRESPONDENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 525, 11 December 1912, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

Letters for publication, and articles for insertion, must be accompanied (not necessarily for publication), by the name of the writer, and, provided they are -not offensive in any way, will be published as space permits. The Editor does tot identify himself with the opinions expressed >y correspondents, and accepts no responsibility or them.] The Editor. Sir,—>At last Wednesday evening's public debate at Otorohanga, on the subject. "Would License Be Detrimental to the King Country?" the expiraton of the time limit before my speech was ended, left me unable to mention some important figures on the abo«e question. These, obtained from excellent authority, show that the average quantity of "parcels" containing spirits and beer sent from Te Awamutu into the King Country daily is 50, and of beer alone 10 gallons. These figures at first sight sound formidable, but let us remember that they cover Kawa with 60 souls; Otorohanga with from 500 to 600, and 1000 within a five mile radius; Han- | gatilu 180, which also is the outlet for Upper and Lower Waitomo, Putake, etc., Te Kuiti with, say 2000 Mangapehi 200; Ongarue 500; and Taumarunui 2000; besides smaller places unmentioned. If we assume that there are 2000 people residing in the country districts between the places enumerated, we get, as a rough estimate, a population between Te Awamutu and Taumarunui. of nearly 7500. The average of drink (as contained in the "parcels") consumed daily in tha King Country works out (reckoning three bottles to a parcel) at l-50th bottle per head; and cf beer alone l-234th gils (a gil equals about an eggcupful. Yet our friends Who favour the introduction of license will tell you that there is more drinking in the King Country than if we had open bars. The truth is that the drinking is almost entirely confined to the towns, where all the agitation is fur more drink. The country at large doss not want the open bar, which would prove the worst thing ever introduced. I am, etc., GEORGE P. COX, Presbyterian Home Missionary. Otorohanga, December sth, 1912.