NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8412, 30 April 1907, Page 5

NO-LICENSE IN INVERCARGILL.

By Telegraph—Press Association. INVERCARGILL, April 29. An examination of the Invercargill Customs figures discloses the interesting fact that the dutypaid on liquors of all descriptions, including locally-brewed beer, decreased £2,319 in nine months of nolicense. In general goods other than liquors a record for the year was experienced, the amount collected being over six thousand pounds in excess of that for the previous year. While admitting that these facts are favourable to the contention that more merchandise and less liquor has been sold under no-license, the temperance party does not admit that the figures of the duty paid in Invercargill are any criterion of the consump-; tion here, as duty has to be paid in Invercargill for the whole of Southland, which includes three license areas—Awarua Wallace, and part of Wakatipu. For all the liquor sold by the travellers of the two Invercargill wholesale spirit merchants, wherever consumed, and for beer manufactured at the Gore Brewery, l forty miles away, duty is paid at Invercargill. The temperance party contends that it is unfair to judge the consumption for the town from, the figures for the whole area. A local no-license advocate states that considerable misconception exists in northern towns regarding* the amount of liquor duty collected at Invercargill during the nine months proceeding no-license and the same period following. He gives figures showing the reduction of £2,319 in favour of the prohibition period.