CAMP BEER BOTTLES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1437, 11 May 1912, Page 6

CAMP BEER BOTTLES.

OUTCRY MADEPROHIBITION ONSLAUGHT. STRONGLY ANSWERED. (By Telegraph-Special Correspondent.) Christchurch, May 10. Tho Prohibition League's letter to General Godlt-y regarding drinking in Territorial camps has drawn another volume of testimony from the most reputable sources as to tho aobriety and orderliness of the men. Licut.-Coloncl G. J. Smith, who was in command of the Templeton camp, said today: "1 do not propose myscif to go into the matter at all, as I hope that there will be a searching- inquiry instituted by tho general officer commanding—conducted, if possible, by an officer from headquarters, so that it shall be absolutely impartial, but this I will say: that I think the resolution first passed was an uncalled for reflection on the men in camp. There will be plenty of evidence to prove, that there was no drinking in camp, and that the order and behaviour of the men, right through,,was most excellent. The evidence that schoolboys collected beer bottles, and that in the rubbish heaps there were found eigns of whisky having been taken into camp can hardly be called sufficient to justify tho charge made. Personally, I saw a food many beei bottles, but they all contained the ordinary 'soft drinks. Tho presence of a bottle does not always guarantee what its contents h'avo been. Who Fomented It? "I have been told," continued the colonel, "that tho tivo gentlemen who introduced this pubject at a league meeting are both very strong anti-militarists, ana possibly their desire to damage the defence scheme caused them to neglect the ordinary precautions of verifying the truth of the rumouTs which they may have heard. ■ Some Flat Denials. The North Canterbury correspondent of "The Press" interviewed a number of the residents of Rangiora and officers who wero at the Easter Territorial camps, and all gave a flat denial to the reporw of alleged drunkenness and rowdyism. Mr. E. R. Good, ex-Mayor, who visited the camp many times, referred to the capital order and conduct of the Jterntorials. The Territorials behaved in an excellent manner, and did credit to the service.

A leading hotelkeeper stated that lie had had a conversation privately with two of the principal officers, and, learning that there was only a email proportion of men in tho ranks over 21 years of age, he decided not to serve (or allow his assistants to serve) Territorials in uniform. So far as he know, his instructions were implicitly acted upon. .„..., The secretary of the Waiapoi District Prohibition League said that ho saw no signs of drunkenness, and noticed no rowdy conduct. Tho conduct of the Territorials as a body of young men, was, from his observation, above the average. His district league was taking no action in tho matter, nnd he had conferred with the Rev. T. Millar (the president of the league), who was in agreement with that course, as there was nothing to go on in the reports put forth. A Chaplain Speak* Out. The Kev. F. P. FendaJl, of the Church of England, remained in camp throughout. Most of the time, as chaplain, he was sleeping there at nighte. It was impossible to prove a negative, but neither day nor night while in camp had he seen anyone under the influence of liquor. Bo- J ing somewhat anxious to see how the new regulations prohibiting liquor in. camps would operate, he was perhaps on the alert for any cases, but there wore none j in which, any of the men showed signs of intoxication. On the Saturday evening when the men had been in town he was in camp, and when they returned they retired to their tents in » more orderly and quiet manner than ho had ever seen at any previous la the letter the Prohibition League stilted that schoolboys had said that they had collected beer bottles at the camping ground at Teinplelon. "That is perfectly true," said a Territorial. "Kach morning before tho lines were cleared beer bottels could be seen scattered in plenty about tho lines, and to any busy bodies who were looking for evidence against us, this would 6eem certain proof of our guilt, but the offensive-looking botties contained nothing stronger than lemonade. Tho firm who had the canteen contract fer the camp evidently thought that the usual smafi bottle of lemonade would prove inadequate for tho thirsty Territorial, k> they hit upon tho plan of putting 'soft , drinks np in bottles exactly similar to the quart beer bottles, and did a roaring trado. When a bottle was flnisbod it would usually be thrown awav, and next morning all the bottles would be consigned to the rubbish heap, where no doubt they were found by the schoolboys. That is tho whole story of tho beer bottles." For Children's Hacking Cough nt Night. Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is. 6:1.* Z~OOTIT.— Tho •'! remarkable Zouth remedies are prepared in England. Money is willingly returned if no benefit rowlfe- Of r!! r-b«niißts and utorelmewim D r South Cute Co., Beldier i BuUduyrn,

a. eouteMur. Hβ never attained hia object, but killed ono of the policemen rent to arrest him, wounding several others Simplv because it was hoped to get rid of M.'Lepine, the Prefect of Police, who has waged inexorable war on the system of anarchy, its chief supporters, the Syndicalist organisation known as the Uoneral Confederation of. Labour, supported by the Socialists, clamoured for the Tβprieve of this hooligan. Serious disorders, fomented by the Syndicalists, broke out nt the execution, where some of the more fervent apostles of the flew labour doctrine actually carried away with reverence handfule of the blood-stained sand at the foot of the guillotine. The Liabeuf case is responsible for a new term in po»ticc-criminology-namely, "hatxmviste, used to design the Anarchist who, with Vive Liabeuf!" on his lips and his Browning in his hand, practises the byndicalist preachings of ''direct action by cowardly attacks on the police.