NO-LICENSE IN ASHBURTON.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43382, 13 October 1908, Page 2

NO-LICENSE IN ASHBURTON.

[To the Editor.] Sir, In your issue of October Ist appeared a letter signed “ Puzzled in which were certain very strong statements regarding the eilects of NoLicense in Ashburton. This letter was sent to one of the leading professional men of that town, a resident of Ashburton during the last fifteen years. The following forms the main part of his reply.—l am, etc., 1 J _ No-LiIAXSE. “ The quantity of drink referred to by “ Puzzled ” as having been brought into the Ashburton electorate covers a period of six years. It averages 320 gallons of beer every week, and as 2(i(J3 persons voted for the restoration of Licenses at last election, these people are presumably non-abstainers, and 32(> gallons among them would be a very tantalising thimbleful for each. In the time of License we had a brewery here, and two carts were continually on the road carrying beer through the district. The brewery and the carts have gone out of business. I have no official facts to go upon, but have no hesitation in declaring that vastly less liquor is brought or sent into the electorate now than til-re was when the hotels were open. As for the crime statistics quoted by Puzzled, I may say that in 1002 the convictions for drunkenness alone were 117, 2<> of which were classed as cases of excessive drinking. The convictions foi drunkenness last year numbeied li. The crime statistics now include cases of cyclists riding on the footpaths, or without lights, disobeying orders of the Court, obusivc language, > theft, and so on, a large proportion of anything of a serious nature miy safely be put down to the deteriorating effect of the liquor traffic, which has not yet spent its force.