THE ROAD TO RUIN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1643, 24 February 1886, Page 2

THE ROAD TO RUIN.

The Key. Mr Isitt made a rather startling statement at Mr Glover's meeting m Wellington a few evenings ago, ' JJe gaid that he had received information frotn V gentleman, m whom , he placed implicit reliance, th'af; recently a policeman forced his way into a lead ing hotel of Wellington at three o'clock on a Sunday morning, and on making his way upstairs found upward of one hun • dred men drinking and gambling m the billiard room. The constable sent m his report of the matter to his superior, but no action whatever was taken, and the serious, policeman, who was only performing nis duty, was told that unless he refrained from watching certain Ijqtels he would probably lose his situation. The Wellington correspondent of the Lytyelton Times, writing on the same subject, remarks : — Speaking of gambling reminds me that it is carried on to an j enormous extent m the city of Welling, ton. Boomg m a very lar^e number of

the hotels are devoted to the vice, ami 1 hear of clerks who are nightly to b>J aeon throwms: the bonea lor comparatively large suras of money, and losin x more m a year than twice their salaries would cover. The billiard table m one hotel; lam assured on reliable authority, is surrounded nightly by scores of young men, who keep up the interesting game of Yankee grab till " the wee sma 1 hours \ ayant the twal " without let or hindrance. The police are aware of the extent to which gambling is carried on, but they rarely interfere. One publican is said to net about £30 per week from the percentage demanded from the turnover m his rooms.