The Failure of Prohibition.

Manawatu Herald, 14 December 1895, Page 2

The Failure of Prohibition.

» ■■/• At Balclutha on Wednesday the charges of sly-grog selling against Mr and Mrs Dunne and Mr and Mrs Moir came on. As Moir and Dunne were not in their respective houses when the offences are alleged to have been committed, the charges against them were withdrawn. The informer was Thomas Ferguson, amember of the Permanent Artillery. He had become acquainted with a local auctioneer, and represented that he wanted, to buy a farm. Ferguson swore that; he ordered and paid for three drinks, bat Wilson, the auctioneer, said, on the other hand, that Ferguson had complained of being ill,- and at his earnest solicitations witness persuaded Mrs Moir to give Ferguson whisky. It was not paid for, and could not have been without witness seeing it. The case was dismissed. There were two charges against Mrs Dunne, both of which were dismissed. Ferguson had put up at this house, and in the second charge ; he swore that he had whisky after playing a game of cribbage. For the defence, Richardson, of . Gore, gave evidence that Mrs Dunne , suspected that Ferguson was trying to trap her, and when drinks were called for, called out witness, afld told him her suspicion. Ferguson was served with ginger wine, and ' when he smelt it he said, " Take it ; | away !" and called for cigarettes. ; Mr Hawkins, 8.M., in dismissing the case, said that Prohibition had t now been in force for two years, and [ there had been fourteen convictions. ■ fjjfihioUion might or might ''not JHfe^ly affect the intention of the

>*. ■"">! 11l ' 111 1 I »ll««— »« Legislature, but so far it had certainly not succeeded. What its effect was in preventing the consumption of liquor no one could tell. Whatever the success achieved, it had been obtained at the serious cost of mischievous impression on ► the general morality of people, and loss of respect among them for the law of the Colony. It was a law which could only be carried out by the employment; of spies and «. informers, and, however necessary they might be, discredit attached to such witnesses. He suggested that the Government should appoint a Royal Commission to enquire into the working of Prohibition in the district as that seemed the way in which the Legislature could judge )f whether the Act had answered its purpose and justified its restrictions on the liberty of tho people. The fines which had been inflicted by him amounted to £285, showing that a large and sufficiently remunerative trade was being carried on. He had, and would continue to carry out the provisions of the law. Press Association.