"BOBBIES" AND BINOCULARS. Much Cry and Little Wool.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 118, 4 October 1902, Page 8

"BOBBIES" AND BINOCULARS. Much Cry and Little Wool.

TO the person who is aching for the day when the white flowers of universal blamelessness shall flourish perpetually in this land, the news that the police have at last caught gamblers who are not Chinamen, engaged in the pernicious pastime of " two up," will be hailed with ecstacy. Now that, with the aid of binoculars and other accessories known to the detective craft, this form of villainy has been temporarily quelled, perhaps the dreadful persons who pursue the nimble penny in our main thoroughfares will duly tremble and ultimately confess. •> • * It is an axiom with most people that what is most difficult to obtain is best worth ha\mg, and no doubt the detective that could run his quarry to the earth through ten miles of briers would glory in the feat more than if he picked up a dozen gamblers in a Lambton Quay barber's shop. Surprising how very universal is the opinion than gambling should be stopped, and surprising how very universal is the desire of everybody to keep on gambling. The police are determined to put a stop to it, even if every man has to buy a pair of binoculars, and give up playing sixpenny ping pong to do it. It is quite right that it should be stopped, and it is probably as right that it should be stopped indoors as on the sea beach and other places within reach of a tolerable telescope. • • • It is easily understandable that our respected Chinese residents are too much occupied with the disinterment of the bodies of their defunct relatives at present to play fan-tan, and that as the burglars and spielers generally who have been " doing " New Zealand haven't given themselves up to the police, that large full-blooded gentleman of active tendencies should be looking for work. Activity is an admirable trait in a policeman, and although Mr. George Fisher asserted in the House recently that the general run of Wellington policemen would be unable to "get a move on " when required, events prove that distant and difficult " moves " attract them more frequently than things near at hand, and apparent to the densest civilian. • • • To advocate a visit into the dark places of dubious hotels looking for gamblers would be premature. The police have this binocular work on hand. To suggest an evening call after business hours on some of our

esteemed hairdressers would strain the good nature of our friend in blue o'er much. To remark that it is unnecessary to use binoculars at all, and that the invigorating pastime of " two-up " is played on many cabstands in Wellington every day in broad daylight might offend the police, who know better. Therefore we will say nothing of any of these subjects, but would merely pleasantly suggest that the "Zeiss" is a really good brand of binocular.