WHY?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 57, 12 March 1907, Page 3

WHY?

To the Editor. Sir,—You ask in last Turwla.v's paper, why there i s more alcohol consumed in "New Zealand while there art; parts under no-license, than lliere \v,i when the whole colony hud the licensed sale thereof. The aiisu.-r is the same everywhere, whether there are what are called prohibition are is or not, that the drink hill <;iies up with Hie increased prosperity of the people. Urn 1 country is prosperous, nil business has increased, including the drink business. The pity of il is that s„ many know net better way c))' usine! their surplus easli and spare time llian in makim; plca-ures alloyed with alcohol. IJut when one looks at it what could we expect to be (lie ell'ect of stopvilijf licensed sales in just a few areas: fie.lv six electorates out of (i 8 have carried no-license; less than 1» per eeiit of the population live under the i new regime, Further. the license was voted ou!. oi course. in I lie places of

least iv>is|;tii(.r or whore the temperiiiific sentiment was strong!. Tiic ellWt in those areas has hwn good in thai drunkenness and oilier oHeiieeK have, in those di>trctn. been so nine!! reduced, as police ivluri!.-; show. If. ;is some iirjrno, there is Ko much cu. 1 - sunu'-J in private houses il must lv ot n very m id character, uii.l does not 1 produce tlio <jvil ellil formeriyi I did. Too niiirh impoi taiuv is iik.d'y ( to he ;i Uii ('tied |n Hie Itl j U I HITS you I'l'lef to. \ very (-.lisorv glance at the ?ol<miiil sUlM>k will ! show ;hal tin- ivluriK lvi'eiTed |o io i not imply to merely, hut ] to Souihland generally: it would be • absurd to think Hint one-twentieth of

the colonial eiislonis du( : es on liquors , will he derived from the consumption o{ about, one-eightieth of the tnial population. for that i* what i| wouK! !»• 1 if wo u>od 'the inures to apply only to I that electorate. T thank yon. Sir,, I for your reasonable li;>nrllinn oi' ihis. to editors especially, delicate Mibjerl. Jt- is true we tiini at the utter abolition of the beverage use Oif alcohol, by the will of the people, and when that 13 done we shall have a "very nearly ideal communitv." —T am, etc.,. 1 ' JiEKOIOIKIi.