NO-LICENSE DISTRICTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 153, 7 October 1910, Page 5

NO-LICENSE DISTRICTS.

THE CONSUMPTION OF LIQUOR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. * Wellington, Last Night. The figures relating to the consumption of liquor in no-license areas as officially registered, which were given by Dr. Findlay in the Legislative Council yesterday, have caused a good deal of comment. The no-license odvocates in Parliament have been busy, and this afternoon Mr. T. E. Taylor made a statement, on the subject to a reporter. He mentioned that the total population of the twelve no-'iicense areas in New Zealand was M4,'284. The liquor consumed in them, according to Dr. Find-lay's figures, amounted to 2&3,314 gallons annually, or an average consumption of two gallons per head. According to the latest census returns the population of the rest of New Zealand outside the twelve no-license areas wa5855,>16. The consumption per head (vide official figures)- was 12 salInns. It would, therefore, be seen that the difference of the consumption of liquor in licensed and no-licensed areas was about 10 'gallons per head. "These figures," added Mr. Taylor, "will -give a very good idea why the liquor inerests are so bitterly opposed to the extension of no-license. They furnish a striking refutation of the repeated statement that more liquor is consumed in nolicense district than in districts lunder license. 'Suppose that twice the quantity of liquor were consumed in no-license •M-fas —that is, officially registered —then the contrast would simply be 4% gallons as against 12 gallons. In some no-li-cense areas not in contact with licensed ..istricts, such as, for instance, Clutha. the consumption amounts to only about one gallon per capita." Asked about the matter tin's afternoon. Rev. J. Dawson, secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, stated that tre Nolicense Executive was going exhaustively into the matter, and would furnish full comparative figure? shortly.