LIQUOR AND TERRITORIAL CAMPS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 205, 18 May 1918, Page 8

LIQUOR AND TERRITORIAL CAMPS

Sir,—One of the advantages of an advanced democracy like New Zealand, seems to be that all'sorts of laws can be passed to please one-half of the com-' munity ami are then allowed to ba, ignored to please the other half; so that, everyone is pleased and all pastiness is : avoided. Evidently to please the "wows- 1 ers" there is a iaw prohibiting intoxicants, in troop trains and' Territorial tamps, but, possibly to please the pubi-! cuns and "sports," little or no' efi'ort; ever seems to bo inado.by the authorities' lo enforce it. Territorial camps last: 'jnly a full week as a rule, and from my| experience in seven of them—from 1912 onwards—they (ire regarded by most Tcr-| ritorials (mostly, of course, under -11 years of age) as holidays.! The authorities (by which I mean tha' Government, and not any military officer: or set of ofiicors) seem to be quite will-,' ing to have it so, as long as there ara no riots, but they ought to be tlioroughi] and call for tenders tor the purchase of; empty lla'sks and bottles luff; at each.'; camp. Our raw young troops preservetho good old British tradition as to how; raw young troops should enjoy themselves—at least thosi- still inclined that way arc not muen interfered with. It should mil be so ill these days, when.

"keep oft liquor from tho very first" is\ no mere fail of llie "Holy Joe," but the ndvico of bro.'idminded men who have "roughed it" in all climates, of men of nil religions and Atheists and 'l'heists.— 1 am, etc., * • 1?. H. FITZGERALD. Ilavelonk North, May lli, I'JIS,