INVERCARGILL’S SPLENDID RECORD.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 343, 27 December 1907, Page 2

INVERCARGILL’S SPLENDID RECORD.

(to tub edito*.) Si®, —I confidently appeal to you in fairness to a worthy cause to publish the following vary satisfactory results upon the Supreme court records of Invercargill as the result of no-license. The two weaknesses in the law commonly referred to as the looker system and beer depots have caused much r condemnatory criticism of the Inver* cargill experiment by thoughtless per* sons who do Dot look beyond tbo obvious and surface happenings. These weaknesses however will shortly be i amended by Parliament, in fact we believe the beer depot business to be already settled. In spite of these weaknesses (which are purely the result of license elsewhere and only shew how dangerous any system of licensed sale ir) much good has been done as following proves. There have been 6 Supreme Court sessions in Invercargill since no-lioense became effective. At every one of them without exception the Supreme Court Judge who presided has complimented tbs district on the absence of crime. The words used were as follows. August 28*.h, 1906 session, Mr Justice Cooper “I congratulate the jury on the fact that there is only one criminal case.” December 3rd, 1906 session Mr Justice Dennis- ] ton “Congratulated the district on the absence of serious crime." March sth 1907 sessions Mr Justice Williams spoke similarly. There were only two eases both of which were dismissed and classed by the learned judge as trivial. June 4tb, 1907 sessions Mr Justice Chapman “He was very pleased to be able to congratulate the Grand jury on the comparative absence of crime from this large and growing district. The calendar was an exceedingly small one and it seemed to him, in comparison with former times to show a marked diminution in crime." August 1907 session Mr Justice Willliams “There bad been practically a total absence of crime during the last three months.” Finally on December 10th last Mr Justice Williams again congratulated tbe Grand Jury on the “remarkable absence of crime.” Facts are stubborn things and in Invercargill the facte are as we prophesied they would f be. Business better (ban ever it was. Building extraordinarily active with more work (han the carpenters can do. Advertisements were sent all Otago lately by ths Invercaagill labn I Bureau asking for carpenter?. Land gme up in price Mr R. M'Nab, Minister for Lands, reporting that be had never before seen the business men of Inveacargiil so confident iu the future at their town. Io het everything but crime booming and flourishing. If all New Zealand wa«i under no liennse it would be tbe im. xi prosperous and least criminal country :u tbe world.— Yours, etc. G. B. NICHOLLS, Dunedin.