DRUNKENNESS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 665, 12 January 1881, Page 2

DRUNKENNESS.

'■ (Wangahui Herald;) V • The oouvictiohß for.driinkenriqsJ in the ; colony in the year 1877 reached the formidable total" of 5,353, or one oonviotion to every 81 of the population. There is no record of the cases in whioh the same offenders wefe more than.once convioted within the year, and of course a large allowance ought to be made accordingly. Though for the purpose of our comparison it does not-materially. matter. Jn ; 1879 the number of convictions, was 4888-' showing a large falling off; This gives a proportion to the estimated population of one in 95, Stated in a different :wa> thore is a deoreas> of the forinef year' of B'6 perce'nti " THe decline liess,- as shown by'these figures, than the decrease of orirae. In 1878 'thS number of persons charged with criminal offences was 22,237, or one to every 19 of the population. In" 1879 the number charged was 22,492, or. one-'person'to every 20 of the population. The decline of drunkenness has been more or leg!) njarkeq* for seyeraj ypars. What 'jj ffie cause? \yetlpk if'th'e st'aWiqs were so arranged it would be found "that the cause is'simply (he yearly "inorease o] of persons born'in the . colony to those arriving' from other' countries, there can hardly be a doubt tjiat the .young oplgniaj |as r,qt the; same taste far tntoxioating bourns a? tl]psp'wl}Q"6r ng their habits with, them frorn ovpr the sea; whatever the true cause may be it ij gratifying to find that this curse, on our civilisation is iJiminjs.l}in I gr'-.W(S cannot venture tp hoppr tll&Mhe dipiutjbn'yij continue to proceed in % sai)|e 'ratio as. \t has done in 1879, but if we pan pnjy continue to show' soine advance pach yeaV wo may rest, satisfied in thd : ' agayrance that, as Germany has wiped out the stigma resting upon her at the .beginhlnjj: of the present centnry, so New Zealand will be able, bpforp: even the end' of the present centqry, to saythat ilrnnkennejii Ma prevalent national vice, has>heoonje a thing of the past, go mote Jt be I •