"SLY GROG-SELLING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1915, 25 November 1913, Page 9

"SLY GROG-SELLING.

Sir,—lll your loport of tho speeches made by the speakers 011 behalf of tho lioonsed victuallers, wliich waited 011 his Worship the Mayor on Friday .last, ;fcho chid spokesman (Mr. ltevoridgc) definitely etated that: "Wo (tho Trade) havo knowledge tiliat sly grog is now rampant in Wellington." This statement mado under such circUmstaiions should set tlio citizens thinking. ft convoys the idea that tho icason for tho alleged riot in sly grog is solely dtte to tho closing of t'lie hotel bars, and has sprung up aii in a fow Ironis. If it is not of recent growth, then 1 ask what havo our police boon about to allow such a state of things to grow up. But, accepting tlio -obvious meaning of Jlr. Beveridge, I would respectfully ask him if lio is not presuming somewhat on tho credulity of tho public. Let us look at the facts. On Wednesday, at 11 o'clock, without tli® slightest warning, by the fiat- of the Mayor all (jars are suddenly closed down. Tho next afternoon (Thursday) the aggrieved publicans, distressed ■at the prevalence of sly grog, decide to wait on the Mayor without delay. M«w, does tho Trade, as represented by Mr. liovoridgo, expect the public to accept this statement as gospel truth r Unless, of course, Hie publicans themselves were fuilty of sly grog by soiling during pro* Sibitixl hours. This may bo his explana- ! tion, but tho suggestion that within some twenty-four hours after tho closing of tho bars s.ly grog-soiling had become "rampant" is not lacking in coura.go.— I am. etc., .CUM GRAND SALIS.