Liquor in Australia

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 20 May 1914, Page 5

Liquor in Australia

CHARGE AGAINST THE CORNSTALKS. MOST DRUNKEN STATE LY THE COMMONWEALTH. By Cable—Press Association— Copyrign l Sydney, May IS). ' The annual report of ,the New South 'Rales Alliance says that New South Wales is the most drunken State in the Commonwealth. During 1913 th.; convictions for drunkenness totalled 28,274 and other convictions in which drunkenness formed part of the charge numbered 4185. Woman drunkards, who totalled 32,458 in 1912, were 32,077, but in 1913 two thousand pledges were taken, and in these cases convictions were not recorded.. At the annual convention of temperance workers, at Clifton, Mr. Wilson moved that the issue of no-license under the State local option polls be determined by the bare majority, urging Parliament to repeal the three-fifths majjority. He said that New Zealand people had never forgiven themselves' for accepting the three-fifths majority in the Liquor Bill. The conference further moved for earlier closing, in order to prevent drunkenness, and unanimously decided not to exclude intoxicants for sacramental purposes.