STRONG COMMENTS BY A MAGISTRATE.

Motueka Star, Volume IV, Issue 151, 30 January 1903, Page 5

STRONG COMMENTS BY A MAGISTRATE.

At the inquest on the body of the sailor who was drowned at Greymouth while attempting to get from the wharf to the vessel it transpired in evidence that the man was intoxicated and had been seen coming out of a public house a quarter of an hour befoie the accident took place. The jury returned a verdict “That deceased met his death by drowning while apparently under the influence of drink, whether by accident or othe - wise there is no evidence to show.”

The Coroner (Mr Hawkins, S.M-,) said; “I accept your verdict, but as Coroner I have something to say. The evidence is conclusive that the man was drowned because he was drunk. This is only one in the long tale of wretched beings who in this colony have met their death from the same cause —some violently, some in delirium, some after a lingsring illness, and the tale of deaths is but a light one beside the tale of misery and ruin which abound amongst us and of which only a small proportion comes before me in my judicial capacity. I say emphatically that for all this the present licensing law of this colony and the maladminstration or ineffectual administration of that law are largely responsible. The last licensing poll, with its immense vote for prohibition, is at once a warning and a mandate for reform—a warning that the conscience of the people is deeply stirred and that unless real, honest and radical reform is made in the law and administration ofthe law on the sale of alcoholic liquor, the masses—the men and women, who suffer —will extinguish the trade, which the Government and Legislature fail to reform. In that sense it is 'a direct mandate for reform. I hold it to be a crime against the Commonwealth if the reform is not effected. In my opinion (though I have no wish to dictate on the matter) the only basis of reform which would be of any value is redaction of licenses to a population limit, making the magistrate the sole licensing authority, increase of fees on the continued licenses in proportion to those of the reduced licenses, and direct statutory limitation of hours of sale of liquor. Entire revision of the law with the purpose of .effectual control and supervision, of the trade and preventing of evasion of the law is a matter of detail but none the less essential.