THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 224, 1 September 1905, Page 2

THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING

(to thb editor.) Sir, —You have been kind enough on former occasions to publish articles from my pen upon the results of NoLicense upon criminality. I contend, sir, that anything that will reduce crime to one fourth of its present volume, and reduce drunkenness even more than that, is worthy both of all the space-a newspaper editor can give it, and of the best c msideration of every voter in New Zealand. I will endeavour to show as briefly as possible that No License has accomplished both these facts at Port Chalmers.

Total reduction in one year ... 216 Most of the 53 drunkards ware arrested at the railway station returning drunk from Dunedin, and hence should be charged up as Dunedin [ drunkards. To show how nearly * crime has been blotted out at Port . Chalmers, Ji will analyse the last six I months record. There were 27 drunk . ards arrested. I ascertained chat 22 i of these were arrested either at the railway station or on their way home from it. There were also 11 offences of various sorts. The three principal of these were: one insolence in a railway carriage, one violence in a railway carriage, one indecent act also in a railway carriage. This shows where the crime comes from. “By their fruits ye shall know them,” and the fruit of the licensed liquor traffic is insolence, violence and indecency. This then leaves a beggarly total of 18 offences and drunkeunees against a total of 147 similar lapses that might have been expected under license in the same period. This is strong testimony. The principal business min of the Port, Mr John Watson, has also given testimony that as regards business the Port was getting along very nicely indeed. The man who is the principal employer outside the U.B.S. Co. has also' been heard to declare that “it wan as good as £5O a year to him because of his men keeping more regular time.”—Yours, etc., 0. BERNARD NICHOLLS. Otago Agent N.Z. Alliance.

Druukarde Serious Offences Total Last year of license 194 99 293 1904, No-License 53 34 77