ORDERLY HOLIDAYS AT OAMARU.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 379, 18 February 1908, Page 4

ORDERLY HOLIDAYS AT OAMARU.

[contributed,] An attempt has been made in many papers in the Dominion to create an impression that there was a great deal of heavy drinking at Oamaru during the holiday season. How far this is from the truth will be realised when the following is read. Our correspondent visited Oamaru for the purpose of enquiring into the accuracy or otherwise ot the statements. He naturally first approached the police. The Sergeant in answer to questions srid; (i ) There was not a single arrest for drunkenness during the whole of the Christmas and New Year season. (2) There was not a single complaint from any person during the same time as to larrikinism or mischief, removing gates, breaking fences, or any of the other matters that usually give trouble at this season. (3) On New Year’s day there were Caledonian Sports with an attendance of about 6000. There was no disorder and not a single arrest for drunkenness. The same remarks applied-to the Agricultural Show held a little while previous I y. There were 9000 people present at the show and no arrests. (4)' The caretaker at the Botanical gardens said that although the gates of the gardens happened to be open all Christmas Eve night being newly painted, there was no drinking by groups of young men as alleged, nor did he find a single empty bottle in the morning and he himself cleared the grounds up. The caretaker also said that he used occasionally to find empty liquor bottles during license times, but that since no-license he had practically not found any. The above is a splendid record and speaks for itself. The Oamaru Mail writing editorally in answer to the same set of assertions said “ that in their opinion the volume oi d.i~,K consumed in the town had gone down to about one-fifth of the consumption under license.” All these facts were published in Oamaru about three weeks ago, and there has so far been no reply.