NO-LICENSE IN MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10111, 5 October 1910, Page 6

NO-LICENSE IN MASTERTON.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l read in your issue of Sat- j urday last the peevish and futile effort of Mr Cecil J. Tocker r,o do the usual wriggle or wormlike turn which is so characteristic of that breed of person, which he by his address and letter has chosen to proclaim himself, when they are cornered, and when their false representations and assertions are exi posed. The first thing he does is to try and shelve some of the responsibility on to the newspaper which reported his address, and says that such report was not "a verbatim one," a fact which I can very easily understand, as I can imagine how weary a reporter would get taking down word for word such rubbish as would be given forth at an address by Mr Tocker, particularly if it were anything like the epistle appearing in your columns over his name. He says "the report was only a condensed summary and a very jumbled and mis-leading one." My experience of newspapers is that they ara particularly careful in publishing reports of addresses and such like, for the obvious reason that they do not wish to assume the authorship of announcements made therein, or to in any way associate themselves with assertions and expressions of opinion if incorrect, they themselves would be liable for. I therefore prefer to believe the newspaaper report to Mr Tocker's denial. Assuming, however, that the report was all that Mr Tocker says it was, viz , "a condensed summary and a very jumbled and misleading one" at that. Why then did he not correct the misstatements, and contradict the false assertions published, instead of allowing them to gn forth to the world, knowing full well that they were false and incorrect? Let Mr Tocker answer this question and prove himself the expounder of "God's own truth," which he would have his readers believe him to be. The mis statements and false reports (I will not use that word so characteristically employed by Mr T. F. Taylor, and commencing with the letter "L") suited his purpose, and, not until my letter appeared in print did his sense of justice assert itself. Of course, Mr Tocker will not feel pleased at my reference to that little word of his great apostle and brother in the cause, Mr T. E. Taylor, which was used by him recently to a Town Hall full of people in Wellington, in reference to one of the best and most worthy of our Magistrates occupying the judicial benches of this country. I notice, too, that Mr Tocker,- ai the commencement of his letter, makes use of a lot of polite clerical expressions, such as "barking up trees," etc., and refers to the people who take a drink as "a pack of liquor dogs." Here is another literary effort, and a becoming one from an asserted, but embryo cleric, which is sure to assist his cause. It is rather a pity he got annoyed like this, for his own sake. Personally, I was rather pleased to see it, for having succeeded in making Mr Tocker annoyed, my way became easy; be- ' cause he in his outburst of vituperation and bitterness, threw off his veil, and revealed bimsef in hit) true character. It is just probable, however, that Mr Tockei'a fani attcgl tendencies carried him beyond the limits of his discretion, that is, if he la pnssessed of any of this latter characteristic, which is very doubtful, as the possession of it is certainly not demonstrated in either his address or letter. However, I am prepared to give £him the benefit of the doubt. It would probably surprise Mr Tocker to know that during the twelve months of NoLicense, ending 30th June last, over sixty furniture sales took place in Masterton of families leaving the district. This is the number advertised in one of our local papers only, so that there were probably many more took place. Thia number is also without including the hotels, and people don't sell up their homes lor amusement. These are families, but where are our young tradesmen, so many of whom we could boast of a little over a year ago? Gone to fresh fields in quest of the employment of which they have bean so effectually deprived by the advent of No-Li- ! cense, and the consequent depression ! and stagnation which followed in its •'

wake. On the first of October there were in Masterton over seventy, empiy dwelling houses. > fact which can be proved by the evidence upon oath if necessary of a person whu went round with the express purpose of counting them. In his remarkable epistle, Mr Tocker states, smong ' other 'God's own truths,' that since j Nc-License two picture shows have been started in Mastetton, and wsre both doing well. It may interest our imaginative friend to know that one of these picture shows has done so well under No License that it has ceased to carry on business, and, if reports be true, the management intends opening in Stratford, where License and Tockera—not locker::, Mr Editor—obtain. In the main street in Masterton, there being practically only one business street in Masterton, there are to-day eighteen shops and offices to let. In the very centre of the business part of the main street of the town, one revaluation has been made during NoLiceuse, and the Government valuation of the property reduced £7 10s per foot. The Caledonian Society, whose principal object is to hold a ' sports meeting on New Year's Day, . has existed hers for a great many years, and it was not until last New Year's Day (their first sports meeting under No License) that they showed a loss on their meeting of £6l. ihe St. Patrick s Day Association (another sports association) succumbed altogether during No-License, and had to be wound up. Our local racing club, favoured with beautifull weather last meeting, during No-Lic<2nse showed a loss of £350, being their first loss for many years. Still, we are told that there is unbounded prosperity reigcing in the district, and .an abundance of money in the town, and that capitalists, etc., have not lost* faith in it. It may b3 that I they have not last faith in it, but their manner of showing it seems to be by keeping their pockets tightly buttoned up. If Mr Tocker is of the opinion that there is plenty of money for investment in the town, let him interview the financing firms, or the solicitors of this town, and see what money they have for investment in 1 Masterton. Let him endeavour to 1 raise a mortgage on any property in in Masterton, no matter what the 1 security may be, and see how he will get on. The best proof of whether or not the people of the town have themselves lost faith in Masterton, is the fact that they have persistently rejected all loans proposals brought forward by their local body, the Borough Council. The b'orough rates have certainly not yet been increased, but their increase is inevitable in th 3 near future, as every possible economy has been exercised in regard to expenditure in order to cope with the shortage of revenue. The Borough Councillors, in framing their estimates for the present year, found it necessary to. make a reduction in expenditure ali round to the extent of £450. Had they not done so, and had adheredto the expenditure of the previous year of license, it would have been necessary to either increase the rate or their overdraft. These are a few facts for Mr Tocker to ponder over. If he is desirous of more, I Bhall supply them on application. Is is all very well for Mr Tocker to prate about a town ha does not have to live ; in. Ido have to live in it, unfor- j tunataly, and that makes all the difference.—l am, etc., | J. J. KELLIHER.