NO-LICENSE IN MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10678, 5 July 1912, Page 5

NO-LICENSE IN MASTERTON.

[To The Editor.]

fcViv, — Having oeen a resider.!'; of i Masterton at the time of the carrying of No-liecn.se. I <(:rta : ,riy expected a .better result than now find exiting hi the. town .at tine .present time, juiclgrmg by appearances, and from what I have learnt from trustworthy t'.rier.ds, with regard to the operation of Np-liomse during my absence from 'Masterton of 'about thr<e;' years. After a good deal of travelling, and residence in, Australia, I arrived back at ■Auckland a month ago, and spent somie. time iu vi&ibmg Rctorua. and th. 1 Hoc Livkes d.i,stritt.. During my stay in the n&rii'.iei'n towns I saw no cases •i : di-un.!L'nness in the .-public t,nor■(.:i!g'infar..< , : br..t ccmung on to \?cElimg- . '.inn, where I stayxi- three days, 1 sa wtwo .cases cf drunkenness. In uVlHuitertcn, on Tuesday, _ du.'ing tl;b eqtu'se of the afternoon, 1 saw v.ctey- . ■er thin six nersors uncL'.r the indu- I ence of liquor, 'i'o f.ay that .1. w.u' oarprk'3d r,s'to ,put it mildly, as my •icbais were completely shattered wuia regard to 'No-license. I began to make emc/jiricis, an.cl 'elicited the in•.f(.«rm'ivtior.' that'it wastne fasieeo'inat•ber to get liquor. -It was only a question ct paying extra money above or•dinavv a-itUics, and it could -be had. Tn .short ,there ■»•<* ay much, if not ■more ,dniniidng going on umTer Nolicen.sic as existed before, only the're w«.s more isccrecy in fflino instances, wl'.iVit in others it was (JbvTous to .anyone who is mot blind, that No-license lad .opcrfcd up an industry ior a PJ: of wafJbeirs and unsoru'pu"or.G'"pcTSons. i.'ho w,;-io .making a lot d money ■'•'Mining the cutbor,' 'or "dropping." I Ir.i fact, I am told it h sold in acmo ■calscls almost as openly n& the j ■?.■'.-■> 'wei'd open. i. that one i.f Mjese "droppers" rerused an offer •J £l5O for hTs counecuon. of custom- / ■•■-,. If this :s to, tn must b? a lu..irativo business. We'l, Mi- Editcr,-all -1 erm f/jv is that the sooner w.e get -•'vaek to the old (regime the better, as ■'bet present .system is .only a mockery, •aind is not calcdrffiitl to improve the iino'.-m! tone cf flio eonimuuity. Surely i.'lio .Licynr.i.ng Act is intended to con■vcy a -better" i:ntcrprct'a.tiion. tha.r.' the ■foregoing. Talking to an authority i.n tlie -.f-'ubket, ho stated_that there was a. large quantity, of liquor con\mmoi iLl'eppimate'ly, buc it was a wny diffiicailt mait'ter to cope with. — il am .etc., ,v. TAYLOR Lanscji.nvne, July 3, 1912.