CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 426, 20 August 1908, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by our correspondents.

[TO TIIH editor.]

Sir, The Manawatu NoLicense Council desire me to point out that the Invercargill court returns, as published in the North Island newspapers, are both defective and incorrect in some details, and are therefore misleading. The comparisons are between the last year of License and the first two years of No-License, and as the lacts of the situation are not disclosed, these bald figures are used for the disparagement of NoLicense. In the interests of truth and fair play, I trust you will be good enough to publish the returns in full, and the enclosed explanatory letter from Mr J. S. Baker, a prominent and highly - respected citizen of Invercargill : “Criminal statistics ate not always a reliable measure of the moral condition of any .Slate. A community may have its reputation damaged by its very virtue. A moie active police, a more vigilant administration of the law, may send up the number of arrests.” This is true of Invercargill, especially in regard to cases of theft and breaches of the bv-laws, which amount to 149 out of a total of 368 convictions for the last vear of No-License, ended 30U1 June last. This increase of 40 per cent, is made up for the most part, as Mr Baker shows, of petty offences, and it is absurd to think or suggest that these cases of theft and breaches of the by-laws are all due to over-indulgence in intoxicating drink. Magistrates complain about the petty cases that are sometimes brought before them. Mr Day, S.M., recently said that “ some people are fond of bringing all sorts of cases to court —a boy stole half-a-dozen apples and was brought up for it. . . —many trivial cases came before him.” It has been publicly announced that “ the police have decided to strictly enforce the by-law regulating traffic of all sorts in the borough ” of Palmerston South. This is just what the police have been doing in Invercargill during the past year or two. Since NoLicense came into vogue they have had no drink traffic to regulate, and so they have had plenty of time to devote to the regulation of the street traffic —dealing with offending cyclists, careless drivers, owners of wandering cattle, etc., etc. I have thus shown “the danger of relying too closely upon statistics. They are certainly of some value, but as compared with the splendid proclamation by the Mayor and one hundred business and professional men, and the fact tffat the other side cannot get a single business man to declare himself for restoration of Licenses, they are a small matter indeed. I am, etc.,

Wm. Ritchie, No-Eiceuse Organising Agent, Manavvatu Electorate, Marton, 17th Aug., 1908.

INVERCARGILL COURT RETURNS.

Total convictions...33B 382 368

Copy of letter from Mr J. S. Baxter, Invercargill, above referred to; —

With regard to the court returns in Invercargill, let me say first, that a number of these convictions are from outside the Nolicense area ; and, in fact, practically all the convictions for drunkenness are either from the brewery depots, the Bluff, Wallacetown or Riverton —the offenders having procured the liquor at these places, and arriving in Invercargill inebriated, or under the influence of liquor, are convicted in our local police court for that offence. In the second place, with regard to the convictions tor theft, which are certainly numerous, nearly all the cases are juvenile offenders, and are of a most petty character. A large number of the convictions being against four boys who were continually getting into mischief, and have now been sent to the industrial school. Thirdly, prohibition orders, although showing a diminution of eighteen, still the number is fairly large, but as explained above, these people go to the adjoining electorate, and to the brewery depots, and procure liquor there; but of course the prohibition orders have to be issued at Invercargill, the town in which they reside. Were it not for the brewery depots just on the confines of the town and an hotel three miles from Invercargill, and the Bluff so accessible by rail, where license is in vogue, there would be little need for prohibition orders. I would point out that although there is an increase in total convictions for all offences, the real increase arises from breaches of the borough bylaws, such as cattle-wandering, cyclists riding without lights, and some other more trifling offences. As the town is growing, and getting more populous, the inspector of nuisances and police are getting much more strict with regard to those offences. Hence the increase in the grand total of offences. Any reasonable person can easily see that this is the

case. As will be noted, there is a diminution in following offences: —Drunkenness has diminished by 59, prohibition orders by 18, assault by 12, indecent language by 5, aud so on. I would again emphasise the fact that Invercargill court does not only do duty tor Invercargill proper, but tor a fairly large surrounding district, and that Invercargill itself is practically free from drunkenness, law breaking and disorder. In conclusion, the electors of Awarua and Wallace are so thoroughly satisfied with the success of Nolicense in Invercargill, that they are putting forth their very best endeavours to carry the same reform in their own respective electorates. It may interest you to know that Invercargill is in a very prosperous condition from a business standpoint. A large amount of building is going on in the main thoroughfare, and private houses in the suburbs continue to be erected. The people of Invercargill are very delighted with the success of the reform here, and are organising for the coming campaign with a view of increasing the previous handsome vote of 3868. With kindest regards, and very best wishes for the success of your efforts in this great reform.— I am, etc., J. S. Baxter.

License. Nolicense. ’05-6 ’06-7 ’07-8 Assault 6 8 4 Theft 21 4i 7i Forgery 4 4 3 False pretences ... 5 8 2 Drunkenness ...145 113 86 Affiliation... ' 13 13 21 Prohibition orders 66 5i 43 Lunacy *3 iq 21 Indecent Language 12 12 7 Disob’d’ce of Orders 20 12 13 Vagrancy ... 4 2 . 2 By-laws 23 76 78 Procuring Liquor while prohibited 3 13 10 Indecency 2 1 4 Sly grog-selling ... 0 0 0