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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2253, 27 July 1908, Page 2

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A VISITOR’S DENUNCIATION

HE COULDN’T GET A DRINK

-[Press Association.]

. f' AUCKLAND. July 25. In the course of an interview today, Mr. Geo. Harnett, manager of the British football team, speaking on lio-license, said, “there was one tiring, however, that struck us very much, and- that was the difference between the hotels in the prohibited districts from those, where license rules. The comparison is all in favor of the licensed places. Notably was this the case in Invercargill, where we were surprised to find that no licensed houses existed. They were all temperance boarding houses. Some of our experiences were humorously strange. In Invercargill, for instance, we could get no -refreshments ourselves, but on the Wednesday morning of ; <jur arrival I saw drunken men at 9 o’clock in the streets, which astonished me immensely, and later in the evening I saw more drunken peoplo in Invercargill than I (have seen in any. other city in the Dominion. This seems to,show that where there is no-license liquor can be obtained, and as it has to be obtained on the sly it is .douhtless of the worst description. From undoubted sources I learn that drinking in private houses down, there was daily on the increase. This leads to the same evil as the grocers’ licenses do in England. Personally, I may say, that I have ahyays taken a glass of.beer, but in strict moderation. The locker system for controlling liquor seems tame to be another very undesirable method of dealing with alcoholic refreshment.. In fact, the whole tiling seems to be too full of deceit and fraud to appeal to those who desire to see a nation built up of strong, clean characters.”

“From your experience in Invercargill you would not then recommend any other’place in the-Dominion to follow its example?” Mr, . Harnett was asked. V “In the best interests .of tho community most assuredly not/’ was the reply. ■ - A '