THE WAY IN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 688, 13 December 1909, Page 7

THE WAY IN.

THOMAS ATKINS AND PROHIBITION. > y A CASUAL DEBATE (Bγ "Wi.") " This fragment of discussion must be taken 'i for what it is north. On Saturday aftornoon I found mjself in a railwaj carnage with' «. about a dozen officers of tho garrison. I am not going to name them, because I value their friendship, Tho pubho will pleaso understand, therefore, that ..what follows ■ I vouch for, and if that is not sufficient, I have noth. ■ing more to say; , ' It was very hot, whioh was probably the reason why someone (Number Ono) remarked; "So the canteens have been knocked on the head? , " , * , "Well," observed someone clso (Number Two), "if they want to keep the beer out of the camp ; they won't manage it by tho nmplo procc6S of > shutting up the canteens." : "Non&ense I" remarked Number Three, "You ' > : can nbsolutoly block liquor fiom coming into ;■ camp. I'\o been in a barracks for two years, and, I tell you, if the officers make up their "■ minde to keen tho beer out, they can do it < right enough. ' , "My dear man," mildly observbd Number • \ Four, "jou're talking lubbish If tho men oro dctcimmed to bring beer into camp they'll do it—right m front of jour nose, and jou'll ' , never be anj the wiser. , Number Three expressed a desiro to be introduced to tho man whoso guile in the matter i of illicit beor could outwit , his (Number , Three's) powers ot dibcovery, "I could mako ; it absolutely impossible." Numboi I'ho then dealt his card. "I suppose - you know that hquoi ihu't allowed to be taken' i mto the Wellington Hospital? You do Do you think it would bo an easy matter to ' smuggle liquor into the hospital? You don't \ ■\VclI, I can, state, as a positive fact, from mj knowledgo, that it can be done, s find has bee ndone." Number Throa wna im- ' prosKcd "Now," continued Fno, "if it can be managed ot tho hospitnl, what ohance have )ou of stopping tlio beor in a prohibition camp P "Noco," said Tour, with curt emphasis. "You couldn't do it. Beer nould come into ' > camp in chaff sacks i they'd do the whisky up t (is embrocation—humph I You can't toll mo. And," ho continued, "when you wero consuming your beer in a tent, within about threo feet of n boy's nose, what a fino elevating influence tho prohibition camp would bo, to be euro!" Numbor Six shook his head. "Thoy\ couldn't hide it," he said. "I know," Then ho told the story of a tonrful of the most astute rascals who e\er foregathered at Wady Haifa. "They planted a barrel of beer in the Nile," ho said, "nnd by and by got it into ', the tent—how they managed it, goodness only knows. It wae a nuracio of a performance. Tho beer was planted un,dor the ground insido tho tent. But two dije later they wero marohed into, clink—drunk. A man couldn't keep boer in his tent without ehouing it. Some might, of course" ' Number Three conceded a point. "Mind yon, I ra not arguing the questioh of oantecm versus no canteens. I merely arguo that if tho officers went tho right way about it thoy ' could stop beer coining into camp. Anyway, thero would be less liquor drunk in «mp than if tlio canteens were permitted." Then the tram stopped, and nc all got v out I. i \