NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2347, 13 November 1908, Page 5

NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

REPLY TO MR. W. D. LYSNAR.

ADDRESS BY REVS F. W CHATTERTON.

The Rev. F. \V. Ghattorton delivered ail address in reply to Mr. \V. I). Lysnar’s address on continuance in His Majesty’s Theatre last evening. Mr. John Townley occupied' the chair, and the theatre was well filled. The Rev. F. W. Chatterton, who on rising to speak was greeted with applause, said that he had no doubt many present would think that Mr. Lysnar’s statements were -not worth replying to. Mr. Lysnar had escaped to Karaka for the night, and he (Mr. Chatterton) had implored him on Wednesday to abandon his To KarakVaddress, and come to the theatre and he (the lecturer) would give him a quarter of an hour on the platform after the address. Mr. Lysnar had said he preferred to go to Te Karaka, where -lie would have no time limit. The same offer had also been made to his lieutenant, Mr. J. F. Sheridan, but Mr. Sheridan had. said he was not well enough in health to accept it. The -offer was, however, open to any representative of either gentleman. He (Mr. Chatterton) had challenged Mr. Lysnar’s figures in an open letter in the papers. Mr. Lysnar had taken up the challenge, but at a private meeting with that gentleman it took four hours to decide -upon the figures that-'were to bo challenged and submitted to the examination of -accountants. After the figures had been agreed upon Mr. Lysnar avoided signing the papers containing the figures to he examined, and it took four hours to get the statement signed. The figures were then submitted to an accountant acting for both sides, hut the report from the accountants had not come, to hand owing to the shortness of time allowed, and he (Mr. Chatterton) felt at a disadvantage in not being able to publish them, or to use the accountants’ report to speak from. He would, however, deal with the figures as well as he could, without the report. No other question was so important to the district as that of No-license. It was not a question for faddist®, but a question for the people, who had shown what a great interest was taken in the movement. Mr. Lysnar had complained that the AVaiapu Reform League hid not supported him in a desire to work reform in the liquor trade. His (Mr. Chatterton’s) idea of 'a reformer was not a man who worked for a short space of time onlv. but a man who gave unlimited time to the work. The League was not going to he taken in by Mr. Lysnar/who posed as a progressive man. but whose facts and figures were out of date. Mr. Lysnar’s address contained a large number of contradictions. He at one time said it was wrong to take away individual liberty, and at the same time slid he would support clause 9. (Laughter.) Mr. Lysnar admitted that he had had a very busy day. and had not time to examine the figures he quoted. Mr. Lysnar had just re-hashed his old speeches and reeled them off at an intelligent audience, and expected to he believed. The question needed a great deoil of careful thought, and many points had to he considered. Ho (Mr. Chatterton) had waited for some time to find out who Mr. Lysnar’s accountant was, and this morning discovered the gentleman was Mr. J. F. Sheridan. (Laughter.)

Dealing with Mr. Lysnar's statement that the State of Maine was riddled with * sly grog shops. Mr. Chattert-on said that the Mayor avis careful to deal only Avith the city of Portland, a town that offered favorable conditions for sly grog selling. Mr. Lysnar bad referred to Ashburton under No-ilicense. but had dealt only Avith the Borough of Ashburton, and had net grven any attention to the suburbs of the town, where a great deal of growth bad taken place. (Mr. Chatterton Avas here interrupted bv one of the audience.) Mr. Lysnar had forgotten to say that the borough was an okl one, and had been all built- upon. In. the Hampstead district. close to Ashburton, the houses bad increased in value since 1206 from £66,000 to £139,000, and the other suburbs showed 'corresponding increases. To say that No-license had caused stagnation in Ashburton was absurd. Then came the question ;• Did No-license lessen drinking!They bad heard much on both sides, but it Avas to the interest of the trade to try and show No-Hicense did not lessen drinking, for the trade bad a lot to lose. (The man in the audience again interrupted.) He (Mr. Chatterton) admitted it was hard to estimate the actual amount of liquor consumed in any distinct, and the or/.v figures that could be relied upon were the official figures. To accuse the No-license advocates of misrepresentation when official figures Avere used, as Air. Lysnar bad done, was a slander. Air. Lysnar had quoted figures—which lie (Air. Chatterton) had not taken a note of —and which Air. Lysnar said had been obtained from the Customs and Harbor Board office. He (Air. Chatterton) had published in a circular figures obtained from the same sources, and Avhen Mr. Lvsnar was slioavu the figures by Air. D. Alorice;, be admitted tlicy were correct. Those figures did not include the liquor landed by the small coastal boats, or the liquor sent to Wairoa from Napier :so that if the figures were used for the Coast district and did not include Wairoa, a t.rict and did not include Wairoa,. a electorate. The trade had tried to show that Invercargill Avas drinking more under No-licenso than under license. but the official figures showed such was not the case, and Air. Lysnar, in oot quoting official figures, had not aeon fair. The No-license League had published the amount of liquor consumed in one,year in Invercargill. as 62,527 gallons. Air. Sheridan had said the correct amount was 190,000 gallons. He (Air. Chatterton) had 'yot the figures from trade pamphlets, and had checked them with a Parliamentary return. The trade were using a return for two years as a return for one Tear, and now refused to correct it. * The trade returns also found that the Customs returns recorded i larger amount of liquor passing through Invercargill than the Parliamentary returns s-howed, but the trade and Mr. Lysnar ignored the fact that, Invercargill was a landing port, and that the liquor was distributed to licensed areas. The increase shown by the Customs returns for tow years avas about 40,000 gallons, wlijlc the electorate was under No-

license. The Harbor Board 'returns however, showed there was a falling off of 136,000 gallons in Invercargill during two years of No-license, compared with the last two years of license. Invercargill still had two breweries, that could not sell in the electorate/, but traded outside. Yet the Customs returns for the output of those breweries were laid to the electorate’s liquor consumption by the trade, whereas neaiily all the beer brewed was sent to adjacent electorates. Invercargill was the distributing centre fora large area, but the liquor advocates had never told the people those facts. Mr.' Chatterton read the following letter from the Mayor of Invercargill, remarking that the Mayor of Invercargill would know more about that town than the Mayor of Gisborne:

' “Town Hall, Invercargill, New Zealand, 29th October, 1908. Mr. A. Buchanan, Palmerston North. Sir, —I am much obliged to you for sending the ‘Alamwat-u Daily Times’ of 26th October. lam not interested except as a citizen for or against Nolicense. It is a question that the residents in each district must think out and act tipon for themselves. _ I am, however, greatly interested in maintaining the good name Invercargill is entitled to bear. Consequently I am shocked to think that those interested in the continuance of licensed bars in Palmerston should pervert the truth regarding Invercargill to the extent that is shown in the advertisement on the front page of the ‘Times’ you were good enough to send me. The closing of the bars for the sale of liquor has been no disadvantage to Invercargill in any way. Crime in Invercargill licensing district is less under every head. A drunken man is seldom seen in the streets, and when seen has brought from or obtained the liquor that made him drunk in a licensed district. Property lias improved in value. Hotel property also has improved in value. The bar has been made into a shop, and the hotel let as a private hotel and with the shop, for the same rent and in some cases an increased rent over that paid when the district was a licensed district. In every respect without exception tbe town, has benefited by tbe adoption of Nolicense. I make ibis statement to you recognising the responsibility attached to the office of Mayor.——Yours faithfully, AY. M. Scandrett. Mayor.’’ Mr. Chatterton, proceeding, said the trade was careful not to turn any attention to Oamaru, a town that had made a wonderful advance under Nolicense. He had sent Mr. Sheridan’s published statement about Oamaru to the Mayor of that town, and a reup refuting Air. Sheridan’s allegations had been received. The trade was trying hard to show that- Nolicense was a- failure, established beer depots on the borders of the electorate to put temptation in the way of the people, and afforded facilities for sly grog selling. Mr. Chatterton then read a letter from the Mayor of Ashburton —which has been published in the ■’Times” —refuting the statement made by the trade that No-license had been detrimental to the moral character of the town. The Mayor of Ashburton, Air. Chatterton added, was an ex-publican. Air. Chatterton. proceeding, said that convictions for drunkenness at the Invercargill Police Court for the last four months only numbered 13. none of which occurred in the electorate itself. The figures had been supplied by the Clerk of the Court, while the average for the Gisborne Court- was over 3S per iiionth. In conclusion. Air. Chatterton contended that the figures published by him on behalf of the Xolicense League were based upon a broader statement- of facts than Air. Lvsnur’s or Air. .Sheridan’s figures. He asked all his hearers to remember their responsibility next Tuesday, and strike cut the top line. (Prolonged applause.) The Rev. Air. Grant moved, and Air. AYest seconded, a resolution according a vote of thanks to Air. Chatterton for his address. The motion was carried with applause and cheers.

Alrs. W. Alorris and Air. AY. S. Black will speak at Te Ivaraka, in. replv to Air. AY. D. Lysnar. to-night. Air. AA'. D. Lysnar ■vwill deliver an address against No-license in the Ormond Hall to-night. ■ At St. Andrew's Church on Sunday ei-oning next ihe Rev. AYm. Grant tvili take for his subject "An indictment of the liquor trade oil Scriptural grounds.” The nominations of Alessrs D. J. Barry and J. F. Potiie. on behalf of the Licensed A'ictuallers’ Association, and Alessrs F. Stafford and Jas. East, representing -the No-License League, to appoint scrutineers ill connection with the forthcoming local option poll. naA-e been accepted by Air. H. E. Hill, returning officer.

LYTTELTON WORKERS’ DEMANDS.

REJECTED BY PUBLICANS.

[Press Association.]

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 12

The Lyttelton hotel! keepers have refused to accede to the demand of the wharf laborers to reduce the price of beer to 4d per pint, and the laborers now threaten to A*ote Noli cense.

THE PRESBA'TERIAN ASSEMBLY,

SUPPORTS NO-LICENSE

[Press Association.l

DUNEDIN. Not. 12. At tho meeting of the Presbyterian Assembly to-night, tho committee’s report on temperance was considered and, after several speakers from Nolicehse districts had spoken on the state of affairs in. these districts, a resolution .urging office-bearers and adherents to vote for No-liceuse was carried.