The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 75
"No Licence" and Its Effects
"No Licence" and Its Effects.
3½ Years of Licence | 3½ Year of No. Licences | |
---|---|---|
Abusive Language | 1 | |
Drunkenness | 130 | 6 |
Assaults | 11 | 1 |
breaches of the Peace | 16 | 2 |
Disorderly and Riotous Conduct | 9 | 1 |
Disturbing a Congregation | 5 | 1 |
Cruelty to Animals | 3 | |
Obstructing and Resisting the Police | 4 | |
Obscene and Profane Language | 11 | 7 |
Threatening Language | 4 | |
Lunacy | 7 | 2 |
Vagrancy | 1 | |
Indecent Exposure | 1 | |
Totals | 203 | 20 |
Not only has crime generally shrunk in the ratio approaching the decrease in drunkenness, but vagrancy, indecent exposure, threatening language, cruelty to animals, and obstructing the police, are offences which do not appear in the calendar for the three and a half years since the hotels were closed If more drink is consumed in the Clutha since "No Licence" was voted, where are the evidences?
I could quote case after case to show the dangerous moral tone of the police administration during the past seven years similar to those already given, but space forbids. A considerable batch of the men whose drunken habits I specially referred to when speaking on this matter in the House of Representatives last year have since been dismissed. The new Commissioner, who is worthy of every confidence, is a direct product of the attack upon the Department of last year. There can be no doubt that his appointment was made in the page 328 hope that it would stave off an investigation into the Department; when that hope was not realised, every effort was mad? to render the inquiry abortive. Between the appointment of the Royal Commission and the taking of evidence over seventy policemen of various ranks were promoted, equal to about a seventh of the complete force. The lack of promotion had been a strong grievance with the men, and many men who desired to prefer a complaint about delayed promotion were amongst my witnesses in support of other charges against the administration; but their promotion sealed their lips.