THE NO-LICENSE QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3023, 21 October 1908, Page 5

THE NO-LICENSE QUESTION.

REPLY TO "T.H." (To the Editor). Sir,—l have read the wonderful epistle which appeared in your issue of yesterday under the nom de plume of''T.H.and but for the calm assumption and misrepresentations therein contained I would not trouble to reply. The small shopkeepers are asked if they have given their attention to the effects that Mo-License will have on their businesses. Yes, of course, they have, but to the detriment of the liquor traffic. Perhaps "T.H." will explain to your readers why, in the two No-License manifestoes, each signed by 100 of the citizens of Invercargitl and Oamaru respectively, such a large proportion of the signatories were small shopkeepers. Further, let him explain if these tradesmen (who have had experience of NoLicense) are such fools as to be 1 blinded to its good effects. The calm assurance of "T.H." that ! under License all the men" from the j stations purchase at the first shop J they "strike," whilst under No- ! License they will make a bee line for the big store, is exceedingly , funny, and quite worthy of the im- , agination of a Jules Verne. He cer--3 tainiy suggests that liquor:'always I puts the small store under a microf scope, and causes it to be seen or "struck" because there are six open 1 liquor bars in the town. I always 8 thought that excess of liquor made 1 men see double, but according to this " wonderful the very thought

of the liquor bar gives to Hie man from tfoe country a faculty for seeing small things. And "T.H." fwther saya that all bis arguments are based upon facta. Here are some ®f them ::

Fact No. I.—-"Last year's revenue -from licenses £32s."—Quite correct, Mr "T.H," Fact No; 2,—'"Loss of water rate ; under No-lUcenss from six hotels I which would be rated at i rates, as i they would not be used as dwel- ' lings, £l4s."—Perhaps it may prove interesting to "T.H,"' to learn that ; the total water rate for the six hotels amounts to only £145. Figures can prove a good many things, but I have '] yet to learn that where the whole represents £,145 the half of it amounts to th£ same sum. After this "T.H." ought to be a professor of mathematics. Then he says "that the hotels under 'No-License' would not be used as dwelling-houses." Where did "T.H." get this striking and original information from? But perhaps "T.H." is a clairvoyant. However, can he tell us that all the ex-licensed houses in No-License areas are not used for the habitation of human beings? Fact No. 3.—"Loss in the general rate owing to reduction of\ unimproved -value, which is always higher on account of License, say £IOO." — This represents an average decrease of about £1,300 on the unimproved value of each section. But perhaps "T.H." will be good enough to look up the records of the No-License districts, and then if he is honest, he will have to admit that land values of hotel properties in No-License areas have gone up, instead of down as he would have us believe. Fact°No. 4. —"General reduction of,all unimproved values in close proximity to licensed premises, say, £6o."—Here "T.H." has unwittingly told the truth. It is a fact that there is a general reduction in values because of the contiguity of licensed houses, but under No-License there will be nothing in the shape of licensed liquor bars to drag down the I value of adjacent property. Fact No. 5.-"These figures," says"T.H.," "can be substantiated by the books of the Borough Council." —Well, truth to tell, I did find No. 1 fact right (a great performance for a liquor advocate), but when I enquired , at the Council office for the books with wnich to verify facts No, 2, 3 and 4, I was told that no such books were kept. A water consumption book was in existence, but not a License advocate's "assumption" book. "So much for "T.H.V facts. I now ask you, "T.H.", kindly to come out in the open and let us know who you are, and then your vast experience of small shopkeepers, country men, microscopes, clairvoyants, mathematics and prohibited districts can be put to the test? Also, please let us have your opinion as to what you think of a community which spends at least £15,0u0 a year in liquor in order to save rates to the tune of £3OO or £400.-1 am. etc., O. N. C. PRAGNELL.

(While we are desirous of allowing the fullest discussion in our correspondence columns of questions of public interest, we cannot consent to insert a constant stream of letters on a question that has been discussed so threadbare as that of No-License. Any further letters on No-License addressed to this paper will be charged for at casual advertising rates.—Ed. W.A.)