WHAT JIM SAID TO JACK AND JACK SAID TO JIM.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2080, 4 January 1908, Page 3

WHAT JIM SAID TO JACK AND JACK SAID TO JIM.

(No. D.) j Jim: “But don’t you think, Jack, • tlmt SLY GROG SELLING will lie | worse than the licensed sale of liq- ' our? ’ ’ 1 Jack: "My dear fellow, 1 am al- | ways amused to hour you lolks talk imout selling grog on the sly.” I Jim: "Wn.v are you amused? Surely Micro isn't, anything comical about t iiul?” j Jack: "Ob, ves (here is, anil lor | ibis reason : You seem to think that sty-grog selling belongs only to NoIlicense districts.” j Jim: "Well, and isn't that so!'’’ Jack:"7\'o, certainly not. Why from all parts ol the colony we read ol eases ol sly-grog selling .occurring in I Licensed districts. In Auckland the convictions lor this oHoneo have been so many that Mr. Dyer, tlio S.M., said that slv-grog selling would never he put down unless imprisonment were imposed instead ol' fines. Anil in to-day's papers we tiro told that in New South Wales, where Prohibition is not in force in a single electorate, sly-grog selling is widely prevalent. So you see, Jim, that UNDER LICENSE THIS OFFENCE IS LARGELY CARRIED OX. Thus, you see, the only way to prevent slvgrog selling is to let everybody sell liquor without a license, and you would hardly like that, 1 reckon. Now tlu'ii, Jim, how about your objection that sly-grog selling is the product of No-License ?” Jim: "Gone in the fore-logs a bit, 1 reckon! My word, Old Sookey at the pub never told ino this the other day when we were having .a go on the subject. He gave me to understand that it was only under Prohibition that there was sly-grog selling.” Jack: “Of course .ho would; that suited his ticket. But lie didn't give you to understand that he and nearly all in his line are sly-grog sellers, did he?”

Jim: ‘‘What! Publicans sl.v-grog sellers? llow can that be when they have a license to sell liquor?” Jack: ‘‘l will tell you. Doesn't Sookey sell drink on Sundays in defiance of the law?” Jim: "1 guess he does. AY h.v, that’s well known.” Jack: "Of course he does, and what is that hut sly-grog selling? Ami so is selling alter hours and selling to drunks. These gentry haven’t got a license to sell under those circumstances. and theretore they are just as linii'li sly-grog sellers as those who sell during the week days without a license. Don’t you see it, Jim?” . Jim: ‘‘Oh yes, that s right enough. There’s no get out ot that. 1 never thought of this before. I’ll bo on to old Sookey when lie talks about slv-grog selling again. ‘jack: "And then you must remember this, Jim, that not only does the average publican sell liquor on tin* s-’v, hut in other matters wicked men act upon the same principle by breaking laws that don’t suit them. For instance, there is a law against stealing, but- von know perfectly well that there are plenty of forgeries, embezzlements, and burglaries. Now these and other forms of robbery that are S') oonimon aro only difloront mot-hods of thieving on tlio sly. And so with murderers, anil other law breakers. As long as hum.'in nature is what it is men and women will he lonnd everywhere who will readily break anv law that interferes with their selfish interests.” . Advl. (To lie continued.) (.1 •