CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3762, 28 March 1907, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by our correspondents.

To the Editor. Sir, —Will you permit me, as a parent, to express my appreciation of the conduct of Coustable Woods in bringing forward the recent breach of the Licensing Act. The lot of a policeman in a country town is not a happy one, that is, sir, if he does his duly without fear or favour. And it must be admitted that it requires a good deal of moral courage to undertake the work of police supervision of hotels and I am not far out when 1 say that a large number of country constables are afraid to do their duty in this respect, I know of a case where a. constable compelled a landlord to observe the law. The landlord and seveal wealthy and prominent residents who were in the habit of attending the hotel for purposes other than drinking, got up a petition for the removal of the constable who did his duty and their political influence had the desired effect and the man was moved on and was replaced by a man who was for a number of years under the thumb of the publicans and two of the hotels became nothing more than common gambling houses. I feel sure that parents who have the welfare of their boys at heart must feel a certain amount of relief when they know the town possesses a guardian of the peace who intends to carry out his duty without fear or favour or cowardly threats. —Yours etc., Parent.