Correspondence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 374, 7 May 1866, Page 5

Correspondence.

*»• We Co not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents.

[To the Editor of tbe Hawhe’s Bay Times. J Sib,— ln your issue of the 3rd, I observe a letter signed “ No Maori," in which your correspondent reviews the case of Mr J, Sims, of Mohaka, who has been fined £5 and costa for supplying the Natives with what he (correspondent) politely calls alcoholic liquors, and then tates boldly the fact that in the town of Napier the law is violated daily by the same practice, yet there seem* no notice of the violation.

Surely, Mr Editor, if Mr Sim was wrong, the offenders in Napier cannot be right in doing the same thing, with only this difference—supplying larger quantities of the same article. If Sim was guilty and brought to justice for the offence, the people in Napier are in a much better position to find out offenders, with such a force of policc.men constantly on duty day and night, who are supposed to report all offences to the proper quarters. If this was done, the thing your correspondent calls the most barefaced would soon be done away with. But things as strange as this exist, if report be true. I would like to ask you, Mr Editor, if it be true that the Natives in the Wuiroa have for a long time past been walking grog-shops, carrying bottles of grog in their breasts, and selling to any person a glass who would pay them sixpence, either Maori or European ? Has there been a grog-shop at Tongohio kept by a Native, and grog sold without any license at all ? And is it true that at present in Petane there is now one where any person can have his glass for sixpence, and where considerable quantities are sold P If such be the case, surely it would be worth the while of the Secretary of the Victuallers’ Society (who have offered £2O reward for the apprehension of offenders against the Licensing Ordinance) to take steps to Sad out the truth or falsehood of such things if no others consider it their duty to do so, and the distance to Petane is not so great after all as to offer any obstacle in getting correct information 5 besides, there are plenty of opportunities of enquiring of the Petane people about the matter when down here, who would, without doubt, supply the necessary information. If Europeans are flued for selling with a license in such an out-of-the-way place as Mohaka, surely a Native cannot be permitted to sell either to Native or European without a license in any place where he may think a good spot. If you will kindly inform me if the report of the Wairoa Natives carrying bottles about with them, and the selling grog at Tongohio and Petane are true, you will much oblige.—l am, &c.,

AN ENQUIRER.

Napier, 4th May, 1866. [Of our own knowledge we cannot say, but we have received information from several sources which we believe to be reliable that such is the case. —Ed. H.B.TJ