THE DRUNKENNESS PROBLEM.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In my letter of August 10th I spoke of the convictions in Lerwick for drunkenness, as affected by no-licence. I stated that there used to lie an average of 187 police-court cases in the year, and that in the last three years that average was under 30. Mr. Mitchell says that I should have included Sheriff-Court cases. I did not include them because I. was dealing with the burgh which is " dry," and the part of the town outside the burgh boundary and under the Sheriff's jurisdiction is not " dry." Mr. Mitchell speaks of a similar improvement in Fraserburgh without no-licence : but that does not touch the fact that Lerwick has improved through no-licence.
That Mr. Mitchell's figures are untrustworthy the following shows. He insinuates that as much alcoholic liquor as ever is consumed in this " dry " area, and he says that in Decem- ber, 1927, from 600 to 700 cases of spirits and wine were landed and that this meant seven or eight bottles per family in the town. The liquor in question was for Shetland (popu- lation 23,000) and not for Lerwick exclusively (population 5,000). In that month of December there was not one police- court case in Lerwick. He also says that the amount passing through the bonded store is the same as before no-licence. The reply is that the seventeen dealers whose licences have been cancelled, to a large extent got supplies direct from Scotland. So that the figures connected with the bonded store prove nothing with regard to the amount consumed.
As liquor can still be got by wholesale purchase, to be con. sumed either in the open air or in the homes of the purchasers, it is not surprising that the former of these methods is some- times adopted. Mr. Mitchell expresses great horror at persons quenching their thirst in the open air, and at children sonic- times collecting the empty bottles and selling them. It
would be difficult to find the code of law or morals under which either of these actions would be condemned.
No-licence has brought innumerable blessings to the town, and will not be lightly discarded.—I am, Sir, &c., Lerwick Shetland.
JOHN WILLCOCK, D.D., D.Litt.
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