Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEB. 18, 1892. Prohibition.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 18 February 1892, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, FEB. 18, 1892. Prohibition.

«~ Thb difficulty there is in legislating for the protection of the weak, without endangering the freedom of the subject is amply manifested in the Licensing Act. Clause 167 very properly sets out that any one who "by excessive drinking of liquor misspends, wastes or lessens his or her estate or greatly injures his or her health or interrupts the peace and happiness of his or her family " can be prohibited from obtaining, from any licensed person, any liquor for the space of one year ; and clause 169 sets out that " whenever Justices shall in execution of the foregoing provisions have prohibited the sale -jpf liquor to any such drunkard if any other person shall with a knowledge of such prohibition give, sell, purchase or prodttre for or on behalf of such prohibited person or for his or her use any such liquor he or she shall forfeit upon conviction for every such offence a sum not exceeding five pounds." The working difficulty in this latter clause is the ability to prove that the person who has served a prohibited person with liquor did so " with a knowledge of such prohibition." The case determined the other day by the local Justices was simply successful owing to the defendant having been warned that the person whom he supplied was prohibited. Every licensed publican fs forewarned, by a legal document, that a certain person is prohibited, and he places such notice '

in a conspicuous place within his bar. The '•prohibited" drunkard is as cute as a maniac to obtain a supply of the poison, and he is ready with all sorts of dodges to get others to procure for him, from the publican a drink of any kind. He meets a friend from the country and explains to his friend's satisfaction, the reason he dees not care to enter a certain public, and why he woulc. prefer having the liquor brought to him. The friend innocently obtains the liquor and escapes any fine as, he acted so without a knowledge of such prohibition. We regret to state that we know of cases in this town where prohibited drunkards as easily obtain all the drink they want without entering the door of any licensed premises. They are supplied by persona who thoroughly well know that there are orders of prohibition against these persons, but who would plead no knowledge of such prohibition. The Act seems to require amendment in this reepect. The order of prohibition is made, and rendered to the licensed persons in a district. If no reporter of a newspaper is present in Court, it is only known to the party prohibited and the publicans, if a reporter is present it is better known. In the first case therefore, unless a person was in the habit of frequenting the bar of a public house, about the last place even habitual visitors go to, a man's name might appear and not be noticed. The publican, so long as he does not serve the prohibited person, runs no risk, and the visitor who gives a man a drink quietly can plead want of knowledge. This is not satisfactory and militates against the usefulness of the clause. We think the name of the person prohibited wants either notifying outside the building at all the entrances, and inside in all the public rooms, or advertised quarterly in a newspaper. The drunkard should also be prohibited, "unless special exemption for special reasons is granted, to enter any licensed premises in which he is prohibited from obtaining liquor. The person should also be made liable to punishment for obtaining liquor in any way during the term ot his prohibition. At present the clause is of little use-; the drunkard is simply prevented from getting liquor from licensed persons in this district ; he can, the same day the order is made against him, get all the liquor he wants from outside the district, and if that runs short, get a friend (?) to get him some locally. The •" prohibited " person gets his liquor all the same, but with a trifle more trouble and the exercise of a little ingenuity. In this town we think a better stop could be made if the constable directly warned a few persons as to who are prohibited.