TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 65, 28 November 1911, Page 4

TEMPERANCE COLUMN.

(This column is the property of the Waikato No-License/ League, and we are in no way responsible for the opinions expressed.—Ed. W.P.)

FACTS FROM INVER-

CARGILL.

NOT FAKED.

According to the muni-, cipal rate book of 1904 the capital value of the 17 hotels in Invercargill was 'T £65,543. No-License came into force July Ist, 1906, After five years of NoLicense, which according to some prophets spells ruin and bankrupted every* time the value of these same properties (the 17 hotels) now stands at the sum of £89,345, or a substantial increase of no less than per cent. We do not for a moment assert that all this improvement is due to No-License. But if there had been a drop of £23,802 in the valuations instead of a rise of that amount, we are perfectly certain that all the blame would have been laid at the door of the new reform. So that from a financial point of view, we need have no fear of striking " out the top line on both ballot papers. Then, again, we are told if there are no bars, no liquor trade, the k place will -go to the dogs. *"" What do we find in the city of the south ? During the four years 1906-1910, the average expenditure in Invercargill for new buildings wa5.41,446, and for the ; fifth year, 1911, the permits fe granted amounted to the > large sum of £62,271, and at P a public meeting recently : held the Mayor stated that >.= for this year the value of v new buildings erected in the town would amount to the enormous total of £IOO,OOO, <"- Then take the capital value of the property six years ago and now! In 1905 it stood-at £1,989,289, but ' : since that year the growth has been so rapid that at the present time it is £2,357,119. The unimproved value'hasalso taken a decided leap upwards, advancing fr0m[£738,525 in : 1905 to £1,079,572 in 1911. These are facts to ponder over and meditate upon, and the ratebook of Invercargill, which is open for inspection, will bear out my statement. And the rates, r how do they bear comparison with the old order and the new. We are told frequently that No-License means more rates. If it were_so, we have no right to complain, as we have always held, that- neither the local or central governj ment should derive its "" revenue from the vices of

the people, but the rates have gone down in Inver/'cargill under the new regime. Last year they. j were in the pound L (general and special); this ' year they are 3%d, and yet the sam e amount of revenue is raised, because the town is steadily forging ahead and prospering. Don't be afraid, but