THE Kawhia Settler FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1907, M’S.H.R. MISSTATEMENTS.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 335, 25 October 1907, Page 2

THE Kawhia Settler FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1907, M’S.H.R. MISSTATEMENTS.

“ Let your euspicions be charitable, your censures sure ” is a motto certainly not lived up to by the advocates of the anti Liquor Party. As an ex ample of the truth of Ibis statement take ibe remarks recently made by members of the House of Representatives while the subject of Packet Licenses was under discussion. The public airo well used to the more or less wild utterances and gross exaggerations of this party—the public believe there has been, and still is, room for improvement in the liquor traffic, and because of this belief have shown much equanimity while the <( Trade ” was being attacked, even if the bitting was sometimes below the bJ\ But when to gain a point members of the House of Representatives descend to absolute, provable fal-e--bo >d, and put forth unqualified statements that such and such has happened or is taking plac'*, while the exact op po-ite is the truth, it is time to enter a p-otest. In the minds of reasoning man all that these M’s.H R. may affirm of anything loses weight and value; all they may say becomes tainted and to be regarded with sus. picion or contempt. We are not concerned in defending packet licenses, other than we believe these licenses ars a benefit to a considerable sectijn of the travelling public and while the •piiit of the law is being studiously earrifil out as it h on the vessel wr«kly trading io this port, the Issue of .*uch ! cense is harmful to Uo cpe. Wnat we are concerned with is tb«t Mr Hornsby, M.H.R., should make 1

'be statement we quote below and go unoorrected In the course of a discussion regarding packet licenses in the House of Representative* yesterday afternoon Mr Hornsby said it wa* a fact (which ought to have been well known to the police) that for years a number of steamers engaged in the coastal trade had being doing what was known as 'running the cutter’ into the King Country. Uquor was not permitted by law to be sold there, but yet the vessels trading on that coast had for years been running grog ,in by the barrel. On one occasion a Customs officer who wa o on one of iwers was, without knowing it. >»; ti-g <>u a barrel of whisky, which was co rare 1 with a tarpaulin, and c-mversing with the captain. The carrying on of this cotetiaband trade naturally led to increased drinking. Pending the Fni reduction of legislation there was no reason why the police should not deal with this matter ft was w-11 known to a number of people travelling on these steamers that an illicit trade was being carried on. (Mr Poole: ‘Hear, hear.’)”—Auckland Herald, Oc ober 17th. ,

In the interest of fair play we give the lie direct to the whole’ of that statement, and we cllaim to bo in a position to know, while Mr Hornsby'a knowledge must be merely hearsay. The only port in the King Countty is Kawbia, the only steamer calling here the Northern 8.8. Co.’a steamer from Onehunga—the Murilai occasionally calls from Wanganui, perhaps two oc three times in the year, but although holding a packet license does ho* stieck liquor as she has uo passengers on her ordinary run. The number of vessels that “ have been running grog in by the barrel ” tberefure resolves itself into one —aud one only. Before the passing of tbe “ Licensing Acts Amendment Act, 1904” — an Act that made the wholesale merchant equally responsible with a sly grog seller—a considerable amount of beer and spirits was imported into Kawhia, There was then no more trouble for the slygrog seller to get grog from Auckland oc elsewhere than to get tea, and tbe people engaged in the illicit sale of spirits imported large quantities. But the packet license had nothing to do with it—the steamer carried such beer and spirits as were offered as they were legally entitled to do, as ordinary cargo; since the passing of this Act sly-grog selling is practically abolished in Kawhia. At the same time the regulations on the steamer relating to the sale of grog in port were made so stringent that now a steward dare not unlock his bar under fear of instant dismissal. What we state are facts known to the police here, who, by the way, is entitled to great credit tor bis endeavours to suppress sly-grog selling in the past, and who would readily M deal with this matter ” if the matter were as described by Messrs Hornsby, Poole and Co.