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Hokitika Guardian, 9 September 1927, Page 2

! ALTTTOur.Fi he has not been long in New Zealand, Bislmp Cherrington, of Waikato, has formed .a definite opinion on our liquor laws,, particularly as they operate in the King Country. The Bishop, who has interested himself especially in the Maoris, expresses

the opinion that it is wrong to enforce the prohibition of alcohol in the King Country, now that a large proper!ion of the population is white, and he considers that restriction leads to much bad behaviour and evasion of tho law. He says lie understands that by virtue of a treaty between the authorities and a section of the Maoris in the King Country an agreement was made that no alcohol should he taken into the district. “Anybody who knows. T am sure, will be thoroughly dissatisfied with the state of things there at present,’’ said the Bi-hcp. “You have only to read the stringent remarks of the judge in a certain ease recently with regard to the anomalies of the law to suspect that f.heie is a very grave question as to whether the law in that respect is wise. M'heii the treaty was made the conditions there were very different. Tf yon are going to segregate a race in a certain part of Iho country ami keep other rarer, out. then there i; n certain amount of justice in

such a treaty, hut now it is quite impossible to say that the King Country is a Maori territoi y. f suppose the number of white New Zealanders there is vastly greater than tho number of Mauris. TYrsonally. I think it is a tremendous anomaly flint, there should Do a law preventing the sale of liqimr in that area. It simply gives rise to all sorts of illegal actions so far as the law is concerned, but actions that cannot in anv sense lie called

wrong. You have 110 right to deprive the citizens in that part of having what in another part of the country they are entiled to have, ft creates a wrong moral point of view and all sorts of Ways of getting behind the law. This is leading to a. great deal of had behaviour that would not be the ease if there was as in other parts, licensed houses where liquor is sold under proper conditions.” Bishop Chorringt n added that freedom was one of the principles on which the British Empire was based, and lie believed | In- principle should be upheld. Tt was fi r that reason that ho spoke this way. He believed we bad a very grave respinsibility. It. was grossly unfair to penalise people for breaches unde,- the ecu-litmus imro-rd. It will bit recalled that earlier in the week, when Mr Justice Herdman had p. liquor prosecution before him from Tannin ru mi i, be remarked that there was nothing mure demoralising to the country Ilian a, law which was regarded " itb contempt, and which led to underhand dealing, hypocrisy, ami deceit.