TOLD THE MAGISTRATE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1927, Page 4

TOLD THE MAGISTRATE

LONDON. Feb. 10. Drinking, both as an accomplishment and a vice, is certainly cm the decline in this country. .Modern youth does not drink; it dances, and the queer part is that increased sobriety does not make for a decrease in crime. Temperance tracts that visualise the Ten Commandments submerged in tin ocean of drink are out of date. To-day there is as much, if not more, crime incubated over a cup of coffee or cocoa as ever there was in the bad old (lays across a beef-stained table in a gin palace. Detectives to-day do not look ior enterprising criminals in obscure publichouses. but in resorts where dancing, not drink, i- the compelling attraction. Britain sober is not necessarily Britain virtuous. Rarely, indeed, do I find a young man in the dock charged with drunkenness. Sometimes young girls appear on a drunk and disorderly charge, but they are not habitual drunkards.

Young mi'ii by the dozen are charged every week with insulting behaviour, but- always the evidence is that the? were ‘ pretending to lie drunk. Mill' the exception of Manchester and Glasgow. and possibly Liverpool. 1 would say from my experience ol British police courts that drunkenness is vanishing from the charge lists, and the country as a whole is becoming sober. Drunkards there are. ol course, but rarely are they under forty, and more fm'iuonliy are they in the sixties. I should say that drunkenness is a \ ietorian vice, and I am driven to that conclusion more and more by noting the ages of “drunks” who appear m the metropolitan courts. Duukenurss is largely a middle-aged weakness him: an old-aged habit. *■** * * *

Take the ease of James, the commission agent, a poweriutly built man ol (if), who appeared belore Mr Boyd, tbo magistrate, at Westminster Police (.nun yesterday with a bottle 'ol whisky in one pocket and a bottle ol port in the other. Two young policeman were Duly occupied in taking James to the police station, because, as lie -aid. he wanted to go tile other way.

The old man could not understand ■ 1 1 v he was arrested. “I did n.it in-

terfere with them," he urged, waving at the officers. “Why should they interfere with me?”

“Then.’’ he went oil. his indignation increasing with resentment. “lh.“ called a doctor to me at the polite station. I didn’t want a doctor; ’ and he (■ailed upon the court Ic> recognise the unjust: thing that had been done to him.

“ticcw many drinks did you liav; ve.-terdav ?" inquired Mi' Boyd bland

James scratched <I and bluntly replied: “I c-n)dt remember. I went to the City at eleven o'clock in ibe morning and I got off a ’lms at eleven o'clock at night, and 1 bail a lew, bid 1 never count my drinks. Blit (strenuously) | was not clriini;.” “T think you were.” said Mr B >yd softly, imposing a £1 fine. James

smoothed bis white moustache, stroked his while imperial and with a shrug of bis massive shoulders departed to’pay the penalty of reckless age.

He was followed by Ilenrv the fruiterer. who with £(> 10s in his pocket and a paternal solicit at ion in bis bosom, went out to search for bis li-years-ojcl son. who was dancing bis voting life away. Alter fruitlessly examining' the haunts of his own youth, Henry the fruiterer found bis son and gave mm a fatherly lecture in terms that .attracted a constable, who arrested the father for not searching lor his son in the right, places. Henry was deeply annoyed, and lie declared with some emphasis that be did not know what the rising generation was coming t ; or going In.

i The rawest of raw recruits stcj"d in the dock, every button of bis overcoat shining ami twinkling and bis puttees grinning at each other in distorted wrinkles. One half nt him stood at attention and the other half stood at ease. Bout on joining the Army, he was (■barged with providing hiniscll with a private canteen by annexing eggs, butter, cream, and cakes from a mu. !i" aigueil it Was a cas'- of mistaken identity, and the magistrate, incepting his version, discharged him with good wishes for his military career. The youngest fusilier saluted with Lot! i hands, tripped over his I eel in a let 1 turn. and. -till shining in rwiy hut ton, left the court a very happy soldier. Not until the ceiling began to fall or. Jiis head and the bricks to lull on to the kitchen table did a young husband leave iiis home. “The bouse has been condemned.’ lie (old ilie magistrate, “and they are breaking it down on me. There am I. with a wife and three children, sitting in ruins." ‘•You had ample notice.” said Mr Boyd, who asked the court missionary to find a temporary home for the family from the evacuated area. “I borrowed £2 from n woman money-lender, and she won't take os a week in payment.” announced a harassed factory band who further complained that the sin’ Shylnck had gone to her employers, thereby putting her in fear of flic sack.” “Very foolish of her.” said Mr Boyd. “If you lose your job, she won't get her money.” The court missionary undertook to demonstrate the unwisdom of her act to the woman money-fender, who apparently is one ol many who prey on the poor. In the East End these women sharks are more pitiless and more voracious than men engaged in their own trade, and knowing the weakness of their sex. they frequently resort to domestic blackmail.