MAGISTRATE'S COURT RETURNS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81916, 15 January 1907, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT RETURNS.

To the Kditor. Sir, —Your summary of the returns of the above court is of a certain am ount of interest, but I. wish you had gone fuvtiior and drawn *ome lesson-; from il. lu the Jir.st a eompariMiii of ilie conviction.-! fur drunkenness during l!K)li with thai- of I'-'' 1 ") shows an increase of It). or ;}5 p< r (.•chl. This increase should indue? tlit* inquiry why? And then, what eaa be done to prevent it': 1 know a remedy, but lite opportunity to apply it occurred in 1005 and wib not recur until 11)08. 1 'say "know'' because Oamarii and Jnwrcargi'il prove Uta: absence of thi; licensed liquor bar means., practically, absence of drunk '•niiOHs. J>y the way, J may nnnlioi (luii- al tin- former place tli<' •'drunks" fell from !!4 in the iirsi half of la:-t year when under license to -3 in tie second half year when under no-licen-e lint sc-'ing that We cannot just y;-l ivpair tli-' error of l'Jori. we mignt eti(juir<'. why litis increase': 1 During 10'*d there wa> a giyat reduction in the number of prohibition orders issued; tins may have Had some eilVct. Pro hibition orders are not exactly a perfect remedy for drunkenness, but it is evident from this thai Ihcy do good. Then, again, L wonder—and it is oify wonder, for 1 am not appointed to investigate here—whether election year, or the year after the electio: l . has any ell'ecl on the strictness or the libera li'ly rf the liquor-sellers in di'a-ing out tireir liquors. They, may be more careful when the licensing pell is pen-ling, and then when that is over, for a time, let the reins go. What J,ver we may consider to be the reason it is a very sad thing to contemplate that drunkenness is increasing in our nmUd. It would be well it we knew the ages of those convicted of drunkenii'.'ss, how ninny are liivt convictions and -just beginners in this downward career; Perhaps, Sir, you will say that my second query is more /.nportant. What can.' be done to prevent this drunkenness? Apart from tiie mnody above referred to we might do something. More warn ings might be given in the public press or from the pulpit or by placard, as is done in many places. Or the police might be more strict, tl.ougli this would at iirst make the records appear worse. 1 refer to the poiic-.' because one of our papers, J . forget which, said lately, that the pol i ie? were somewhat lenient with tree drinkers during the holiday time, t do not lind fairit with the police; they , know their duty, but in this they, are not over zealous, for every charge : tliev brought under this heading last j year was sustained, and perhaps j might have brought up many more j wilhoitl failure to obtain conviction. 1 What we want, however, is prevention. which is better than cure, and infinitely better than conviction, which may be only a hardening and a con firming of the drunkard. The, one class in the community who could do a great- deal to prevent drunkenness is \lie licensed dealers in liquors, and they are still oil their trial at the bar of public opinion, and yet how can w: expect them to do much in this direction when they are licensed to sell.—l am, etc.,

G, 11. MACXDEK.