The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1908. THE “LAMBING-DOWN” CASE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2288, 5 September 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1908. THE “LAMBING-DOWN” CASE

It would have been much more satisfactory to ourselves and to the public generally, if in referring to a recent case of “lambing-down,” we had been .able to mention the name of tho publican whoso unscrupulous conduct has been, responsible for casting a slur upon the iliconsed victuallers of tho town and district. Unfortunately tho laws of libel are excessively stringent in New Zealand, much moro so than in other countries, and tho power of a newspaper for good is considerably restricted in consequence. . It is the law of tho country, therefore, not ourselves against whom tho local Hocused victuallers have a grievance. In tho interests of the community, and particularly iu tlio special interests of tho licensed victuallers themselves, wo published as much as the law would permit us to publish of an incident which in its effects strikes at tho root of the evils connected with the liquor trade. Tho licensed victuallers know as well as wo do that every case of “lambingdown” and every case of drunkenness in tho streets is an additional nail in tho collin of the trade they represent. Moreover, there are hotelkeepers in Gisborne who, not simply from motives of self-interest, but from an innato'sense of decency and humanity, would sooner go out of tho business than tolerate for a moment on their premises such conduct as the greed and selfishness of others permit to bo carried on. In drawing attention to tho “lambing-down” case of last week, wo furnished that section of tho local licensed victuallers which is honestly desirous of seeing the trade properly conducted with an admirable opportunity to investigate a pronounced o.ise of licensing abuse and to take such action as they subsequently considered necessary. Instead of investigating tho matter on these lines, the local publicans meet and, apparently assuming that none of their number could have been guilty of such behaviour, proceed through their solicitors to hurl dire threats at the newspaper which had sufficient courage to mention the case. It is true their latest communication is considerably modified in tone by comparison with their former epistles, but Messrs Rees Bros, and Bright will, we feel sure, pardon us for suggesting that their little curtain lecture upon ethics might with, more propriety have been . directed towards one of their own clients than towards ourselves. Olio can only assume that the more thoughtful and reasonable members of tho Licensed Victuallers’ Association have in this instance been overruled by others, for in no other way can their refusal to make a thorough endeavor to discover and punish tho culprit be explained. They applied to us for the name of the publican concerned, knowing that was impossible for us to give it, yet refused to seek information from the gentleman who gave permission for his name to be used and who had all the facts in his possession. Amongst other things, we are accused of making insinuations which are declared to be more dangerous than open accusation. Wo did nothing of the kind. Our statements were clear and definite enough in all conscience, and the only complaint our .accusers can urge is that wo refused to place our editorial neck in a noo6e that appears to have no more attractive features for the licensed victuallers themselves, judging by tho paragraph in which their legal l advisors stipulate that the name of the offending publican, if published, should be published “not at the request of our clients hut upon your own responsibilty.” Again, we are asked to apologise for what is described as “a false and libellous paragraph.” Once it is shown to us that the facts disclosed therein are false wo shall be ready to apologise, but at present they stand .unchallenged in any respect and our information is to tho effect that they cannot ho disproved in any essential particular. The whole incident and the circumstances surrounding it are typical of the worst features of the liquor trade. Before giving publicity to tho case in question wo. satisfied ourselves that the facts were correct and, moreover, it is well known that such an instance is by no means an isolated one. As wo have pointed out on previous occasions, there is far too much drunkenness in Gisborne for the good of the community or for the reputation of the town and it is this fact, much more than the orations of Noliccnse lecturers and canvassers, which is responsible for the strong No-licen-se feeling that exists. It is useless for tho licensed victuallers to simulate •an ignorance of those things which are known to all, and, as wcjhave pointed out on former occasions, their proper policy is to co-opornte with the police, and, we may add, with tho press, in endeavoring to suppress abuses that threaten the existence of the trade in this district.