WHERE ARE THE POLICE?

Kumara Times, Issue 1134, 18 May 1880, Page 2

WHERE ARE THE POLICE?

[TO THE EDITOR.] ;'

Sir—Being a new arrival in this town, the number of hotels (so called) struck me as being out of all proportion to the population, but on inquiry I ascertained the leal cause of this. It appears there are two sections of the community strangely oblivious to their duties, the first being the Police force of the district, who, I presume, are also Revenue officers. The second section is represented by the licensed victuallers.

Kow, sir, the police are sworn to carry but', among otb6r Government ordinances, the provisions of the Licensing Act; and if the licensed victuallers have any regai'd for their 1 own interests, they should see that the Act is duly enforced, so that they do not suffer by'the' iiou-enfdrcetuent.

But what do wo find ?—Why, that ;here are about thirty licensed houses n the district, and about seventy un> icensed—in some cases the unlicensed >entry plying their trade alongside ;heir licensed brethren.

This is not as it should be, and calls for some interference by the Government to protect their bona fide taxpayers.

No one need affect to suppose that the police are not well acquainted with every unlicensed house, as well as with characters of their occupiers, and it is a monstrous and a crying shame that the man who pays £3O or £4O a year for his license, and further, ia compelled to keep a respectable house, pay for servants, lighting, «fcc., and moreover, be at all times under striot police surveillance, should have to contend against what may be called a system of legalised robbery, for it amounts to nothing else. We all know that it is a very invidhous thing for any one man to turn in" former, and the publicans as a body do not appear to wish to do so: How, then, are they to be protected, except by the paid informers, who are no other than the police themselves ? Perhaps those officials have Some vested interests in the present anomalous state of affairs; and if so; they are not likely to enforce the laws. But it is the bounden duty of the Government to see their own laws carried out, or replace the present inefficient police force by more aotive, zealous, and im* partial officers. :

Perhaps you may think, Mr Editor, that for a stranger-to this business is impertinent j but I submit that it is not, when a gross injustice, is being perpetrated, and I hope when I visit Kumara again to see that injustice rectified.—l-am, &c, Wallaby. May 17th, 1880. ; '.".,.