"FAIR PLAY" AND THAT NOLICENSE MEETING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10307, 7 August 1911, Page 6

"FAIR PLAY" AND THAT NOLICENSE MEETING.

(To the Editor Daily News.)

Sir, —Ais you have closed your open. I column to further ocrrespoindenoe on 'tike, above subject, I must_ ask you to insert this in your next issue and charge to my account. I seek this indulgence hecauM of the wilful misrepresentation indulged in by "Fair Play," who, believing that lies letter would close- the correspondence, seized tho opportunity for further vilHfying the i\ T o-L:>:'3,nse party, Througho'ut the whole of this .correspondence I have dealt with "Fair Play" playfully, feeling pretty sura that; I had met him before, and that, in spite, of his noni de plume, he was not altogether a stranger. But this has tobe paid for, (therefore- I can't afford to play with him any longer, and now settle to (business. In the first place-, Mr alias "Fair P'llay," ■ I, as secretary of 'the. No-license. Council, positively affirm that "That meeting was not,"in any shape or degree a No-license meeting, and thus 1 hand hack to you lie No. 1. Again, the meeting was not "got up to try and gull the outside public," as you state, hut to- receive the replies; from Masterton to the request .sent for, information. I therefore pass back lie No. 2. Now for your next assertion, "That it: was not a representative business meeting," I emphatically declare that it was strictly -a meeting of representative business men called by advertisement; in tho columns of this paper and (presided over iby His Worship the Mayor, Mr F. Feist, and thus again I pass you back the lie I call No. 3. You also assert, Mr "Fair Play," that. "if ever Dominion prohibition comes into force the next move of the Nolicense- crowd will be to stop lis smoking." Whythislittloh.it? It smells awfully like herring, but as I intimated in an earlier letter your attempts at (the herring trick arcsimply amusing, and "gull" no one. But, seriously, as soon as the "Nolicense- crowd" finds men who, under the influence of a few pipes of tobacco, run amok and slaughter theinnocent, break women's hearts, rob the children of food . and clothes, smash the. furniture, and turn home to he'll, as they do under the influence of intoxicating liquor, you can take it from me we'll endeavour to stop it, whether Dominion prohibition is in force or not. Now Mr "Fair Play," you have once again made the A mistake of going just too far (I thought past experience would have taught you better). Your "one more instance of the- effects! of mo-license" has led to your undoing. Your selection of those particular date® with the strange- comparison between Dunedin and Invercargill made me inquis*dtive, and I sent a- copy of the followlimg wire to Dunedin, and also to InVGToargill':■— "Please- give by collect wire following information— All criminal statistics your court for ten days July 12 to 21, oblige." In reply, my Dunedin informant, after giving the statistics asked for, indicates the following:— Those- ten days there was a big falling off in criminal cashes,- hut since the 21st these have resumed the ordinary volume, whidi totals over 600 arrests for drunkenness perannnm. From Invercargill I received, in addition to the. statistic© asked for, this explanatory note:— That, though ' the cases mentioned herein were ibrought up''during those ten days they were the accumulation of. several weeks. So I find- that by. some happy chance (not hy design) "Fair Pla-y" has struck on July 12 to 21 for a comparison. Bather funny, isn't it But it's "Fair Play!" Now, Mr "Fair Play," for your statistics. You say "Dunedin has about four times the population, of Invercargill. With 36 hotels, for ten days, from July 12 to 21, tho criminal statistics of Dunedin were 1 four convicted of drunkenness, and one vagrant. Itivereargiirs statistics ior the same period .wire:— Drunkenness five, assault one, rogues and vagabonds 3,. resisting the police one, .sly grog one, a beautiful' and touching, testimony to the striking

benefits' of no-license." Now, "Fair Play," I hare got to hand you back yet another lie, for the Dunedin criminal statistics for the ten days you mention totalled nineteen in <aE, not five, as you state.

DUNEDIN COURT. '

Your Invercargill statistics for the tend days July 12 to 21, like_ those already dealt with, show that you are mot careful .enough in compiling .statistics, or else that you deliberately ■attempt to mislead your readers. INVERCARGILL COURT.

. Annual Criminal Statistics: Convictions for drunkenness 4 For failing to register ibirtli 1 Breaches' of Weights and Measures Act 3 Lunacy 2 Cruelty to a- horse (juvenile) 1 Maintenance 2 Theft (juvenile.) ' 2 Total 15 "Fair Play's" Statistics: Convictions for drunkenness 5 Resisting police 1 Sly grog 1 Assault 1 Rogues and vagabonds i 3 Total 11

Note.—There were only four convictions for drunkenness, not 6; no oomviction'S for rogues and vagabonds, not 3; no*convietions for isly grog; no convictions for assault; no convictions for resisting police. Your Invercargill statistics, like your other statements, "Fair Play," are totally unreliable, and I hand you hack the lie. I find, Sir, that I "have unduly trspassed upon the tor's ispace, an in bringing this letter 'to a close- desire to again empJyi-s----ise the fact that the statements which have recently appeared in these columns over the signature of "Fair Play" are absolutely false. They savour of the liquor trade, and can well be designated liquor lies.— I am, etc., JABEZ BRIDGES, Sec. M.-W.N.-L. Council.

SDF eft O "to 0 c3 -P CO '■+5 (& 4? C5 a -P CQ a cd u > . s s -e .'a o rt & Conviction's for drunkenness 4 4 Convictions Ifor theft 2 0 Convictions for Vagrancy 1 1 Convictions for Truancy 3 0 Juvenile smokers 2 0 Wife desertion 1 0 Indigent children 2 0 Prohibition orders issued 2 0 Broach of prohibition order 1 0 Maintenance case 1 0 19 5