LICENSE v. NO-LICENSE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 137, 1 December 1911, Page 8

LICENSE v. NO-LICENSE.

A COMPARISON. The eight No-License districts, 1 with a population of 101,734, had 168 convictions for drunkenness in six months, ending June 30. This includes maijy who came into Invercargill, Masterton, Ashburton and Oamaru from License Districts, when intoxicated. The License Districts, with a population of 906,472, had 5803 convictions in the same period. This means four times as many convictions in License Districts as in No-License Districts, even with all the difficulties of having licensed bars so near by. The figures work out at one conviction for every 156 of the population under License, and only one conviction for every 605 under. NoLicense. This is how to look at it. The eight No-License Districts have 168 cases of drunkenness, while in the same time Gisborne alone has 202, Taihape 137, and Palmerston 213. It is quite plain No-License Districts use less drink and have in consequence less drunkenness. That is a mild statement.

Masterton is a grand example of the benefits of No-License. All the liquor trade advertisements pictures have beGH proved unrcliable, and positively misleading. (See Daily News of November 30.) The Police Court returns show the benefits to the place, in that during the last year of li- , cense there were 474 cases before the Court, and in the first year of No-License there were only 66. From the business man's point of view it is also a benefit, at least so say 82 out of 112 who replied to the enquiry thereon. We know | that an attempt was made to get j the business men to condemn NoI License. A select meeting was called to attain this object; only true supporters of the drink tradG were allowed there; a man who would not declare himself in favor of License was turned out; no reporters were: admitted; and so they got a resolution favorable to , the drink trade carried. But who carried it ? I& this select meeting there were some ex-publicans, tobacconists, billiard table keepers, old-age pensioners, laborers, drovers, etc., and 61 in all. (See Masterton papers.) THE EFFECT OF PROHIBI-

TION. People are enquiring what will be the effect of Prohibition, and the trade is trying to frighten them. It will mean no person will be allowed " to import into New Zealand, or to manufacture, sell, or have in his possession for the purpose of sale, intoxicating liquor of any description." It is sot. yet certain how far the qualification, "for the purpose oi i 'gale, will apply. Some say it applies to " have in his possession"; others say also applies to " manufacture." It see?ns to us that only a Supreme Coiirt decision can settle that poiiPt. However, one thing is certain—that not many will want to convert barley into malt, and then useithe malt to make beer: or to takfe good fruit and make a fermented liquor from it. Very few do that, and they will be lost sight of in the mass. If there are any | who read this who would wish jto make beer or wine in their own ihouses, we think that they will ibe willing to give up that little \fancy for the good of the community; or, if it, : ;3 : ;un 3 so I irksome the law may be amended in the {future so jis to allow for this little weakness. In any ease there nejed be 110 fear of the privacy of your own home being invaded o» this account. r A.UTIPN: Every voter should vote on two papers by striking out the topi line oneach. We must remember \ that %r using the National vofce on Jge do not get the benefit for 1 W years and a half; while W usin| both papers National Prohibition comes into force in six Jnonths.*