MISSIONER'S DOPE ON THE DOPE TRAFFIC

NZ Truth, Issue 1194, 18 October 1928, Page 11

MISSIONER'S DOPE ON THE DOPE TRAFFIC

Challenge To Parson On Startling Charge

IN the opinion of "N.Z. Truth," Missioner Scrimgeour has allowed him- j self to be badly bitten by this "dope monster," but whereas he would have the world believe that it is a fearsome dragon, its actual size — viewedfrom its I importance — could more accurately be compared with the proportions of a mouse. The youthful cleric takes the gravest view of the prevalence of the iniquit- j ous dope traffic m Auckland and has j been at some pains to let the world know about it from the public platf 6rm. He told his audience that he was "amazed at the extent of drug-taking m Auckland" and that "there is a very wide traffic m drugs m this city." He had been delving into the subject for the past year and knew all about, it, "but it is very difficult to locate or explore the evil." ■ Quite so! It is certainly' "very difficult to locate . or explore the evil," fop the simple reason that there is very little to explore. "Truth" .strongly deprecates these outbursts from clerics about the terrible prevalence of the drug habit m New Zealand. > • Time, and again this paper, when it has endeavored to pin them down to actual evidence, has been met with qualifications, evasions and general hedging. Missioner Scrimgeour's case is no exception. Some two years ago,, "Truth" threw down the challenge to' Colonel Knott, of the Salvation Army, who indulged m an anti-drug outburst. He was invited to prov ( e his case or for ever remain silent on the subject. The colQnel elected to remain' silent to the challenge. . The same challenge is now extended to Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour — either. to ac-

Pulpit Nonsense

cepf "Truth's" invitation (given at the interview and repeated now) to make known all the evidence he possesses, or, failing this, to leave the subject alone and cease to indulge m "scare" talk. . More piffle is talked about the drug traffic m New Zealand than on most other subjects. To say that it is widespread is a libel on the community. All this clerical humbug and sensational nonsense — far from revealing the clerics as wellinformed men — simply shows them up as scaremongers who are ignorant of the actual facts. When "Truth" representatives called at : the Methodist Mission to learn how society generally was going to the. dogs, the missioner was busily engaged m erecting a marquee m the grounds. When asked if he would amplify his reported remarks on the drug traffic, he showed no hesitancy about it, although what he had to say represented so many generalities. • Missioner Scrimgeour is a mere youth m appearance, if not m years. Looking at him for the first time, it was difficult to believe that this young man knew all about the dope traffic. But he knew about it all right — and his knowledge, it may be said, exceeds that which the police are supposed to possess. For officially, "Truth" has reason to believe the position with regard to i drug-taking m Auckland is as good now as ever it was. If drug-taking is as prevalent as the missioner would make out, the first person who would know as much about it as the next investigator is Major Gox-don, of the Salvation Army, whose work takes her*amorig the flotsam and jetsam of the city. But what has Major Gordon to say about this "widespread drug-taking" ? She told "Truth" that m the last year she had come across only three cases.

TERRIBLE PICTURE OF A COCAINE-BESOTTED CITY

|| , (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) . ' ij # SAILORS FROM OVERSEA vessels, slinking about the wharves, bringing ashore cocaine and other If drugs ; an organised band of dope pedlars who take charge olf the stuff and distribute it to dope fiends m the || city; and, as a make-weight, "certain" chemists who are selling drugs m innocent forms to further spread || j| damnation among the hapless victims of "snow" and the dope needle. | l! Such is the lurid— and alarming— picture painted for the benefit of "N. Z. Truth" by Rev. C. G. \\ Scrimgeour, Methodist missioner of Auckland city, when representatives .of this paper called upon him to || amplify some remarks on the drug traffic which he had made m one of his recent Sunday night addresses. fj But after a lengthy interview with the reverend gentleman, "Truth" can assure its readers that the fear- j j| some tirade against the dope traffic of which Missioner Scrimgeour unburdened himself, was so much hot air, |j li fanned by the flames of a little knowledge which has conjured up m the mind of this young cleric some- j| |j thing which simply does not exist on the scale h© describes. • ■*> ||

Drug-taking m Auckland is not prevalent by any means. Major Gordon emphatically disagreed with the sweeping statements of the Methodist alarmist. ' But let Missioner Scrimgeour tell his own story, as he related it m reply to questions by "Truth" representatives. "Do you consider that the drug traffic m Auckland is sufficiently widespread as 'to constitute a grave social menace?" was the first query. "I say it is a very serious menace," was his reply. He was then asked where the drugs came from. "They are brought ashore by seamen from the overseas ships." But whether British sailors or colored crews were responsible for it all, he could not say. . j It was pointed out to the missioner that if drugs were being brought ashore m the manner alleged, it naturally followed that there must be some

organization m existence for taking Over the supplies and peddling the stuff to addicts. Oh, yes, Missioner Scrimgeour was quite satisfied there was some organization m existence which was handling the stuff and baffling the' police m consequence— and, incidentally, Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour. As to who, how or why — well, the missioner hinted darkly about what he had "reason to believe" on this aspect of affairs, but when it came to a definite statement as to ■wjho the dope peddlers were supposed to be, he could Bay nothing; not so much as a word. "Truth" tried him out oh another tack. Was dope, as a habit, more prevalent m the higher circles of society than m the lower? •. The missioner, thought not, but it was rather difficult to ascertain just what he did think, about' it. He was so delightfully vague about a number of things.: . : : , "... "Well"; how, many cases of drugtaking have you come m contact with m the past six months?" he was asked. The missioner thought hard for a moment or two. "How many?" he mused. He thought again and then announced that he had come m personal contact with twenty "notable" cases during this period.

"What about the cases which were not notable?" But there was no very clear pronouncement on this point. . Missioner Scrimgeour mentioned that of the twenty drug addicts he had encountered some were barristers, with a dentist and two accountants or so, "When he was asked why men of professional standing should approach him about their drug-taking, the missioner replied that they came for help. It did not take a man long to "get .down" once he started taking drugs. Efforts were, made to get the missioner back to the question of the organization which was marketing the "snow" and other drugs as they came ashore, . But he could give nothing concrete — not one : tittle, of evidence on which to base an investigation by "Truth." "The gap between the introduction of the "drugs into the country and the actual distribution to addicts is so >

great," he said, "that it is almost im- j possible to bridge ; it. "We know the stuff is being brought into the country and we know it is being distributed, but who the people are behind , this organization we cannot, find out." * , The missioner then had a dig at the pharmaceutical fraternity. • "There are certain chemists m the city who are selling drugs to addicts, but not. in pure .form," he announced. "The stuff is sold to addicts as 'cough mixture,' but it is the hardest job m the world to prove it." The missioner. kne-w "certain" chemists Jn Auckland who were selling drugs to addicts, but— when asked why he did not communicate his information to the authorities and have them dealt with— he remarked that he had to be "most careful." ' To go about making statements. until he was able to prove them would mean serious trouble for him. One thing Missioner Scrimgeour is certain about— that there is a widespread drug traffic m Auckland.' "Truth" definitely asserts that for any responsible person to take ; up this view is pure nonsense. It cannot be supported by facts. There are drug addicts m every community — and there always have been.

Do Organised Pedlars Supply Drug Fiends?

■ But to become obsessed by the spectacle of a few of them, encountered m social work, and to rush into public denunciation of the appalling ramifications of the drug traffic, is sheer hysteria., Missiorier Scrimgeour, when challenged, could only mention twenty cases m six months with which he had any dealings. Not a great number when one considers the size of Auckland's population! And "when a woman of Major Gordon's experience among the dregs of humanity only comes m contact with three cases m a year, it soon becomes apparent that there are gaping rents m the missioner's fabric of reliability. He cannot deny that "Truth's" representatives gave him every opportunity of producing his evidence. He was asked if he would hot place all his cards on the table and give this paper some concrete facts on which .to work. . . "If the facts are as you state, the" columns of 'Truth' are open for the purpose of driving! this dope 'organization' out of the country. ; : "By concentrating on the subject, ' 'Truth' will give v such publicity to'the traffic as will effectively put an end to it m New Zealand.' 1 * , This was "Truth's" message to the missioner. But he could supply no evidence to, support his allegations. He claimed that . there "were ''all sorts of difficulties" m the way; he did not have sufficient information to warrant his doing what he was asked to do. So the interview ended where it began — with the whole "question very much m the air.

Tactless Cleric

"Truth" does not hesitate to speak plainly when dealing with clerics who rush into print or denounce from the 1 public platform the "widespread" drug traffic m the Dominion., If they have any real evidence, it is their duty to make it known to the police— and the press. But, no. They seem to prefer "libelling" the community by wholesale allegations of drugging, although m no case are they able— or willing — when asked to place all their cards on the table, to come out into the open with chapter and verse. The people of this Dominion are heartily sick v of listening to — and reading — the vaporings of clerics who profess to know the ramifications of the vile dope traffic. It is all hot air. Ruling, out the admittedly few drug addicts who crop up occasionally, there is no widespread dope traffic m this country. Any assertion to the contrary is sensational humbug. Once again "Truth" invites. Bey. C. G. Scrimgeour to abandon vague generalities and get down to hard facts. . If he is m a position to prove his case, this paper will be glad to hear what he has to say. But if— as is quite obvious— he is .: not m a position to prove his case, . then the sooner he realizes that. silence is' golden, the better for all • concerned. i ; , . y The police know their business and may be •depended upon to do their job should dope trafficking become a serious problem. But until . the problem arises; there is no justification for clerics to scare the public by sensational addresses, which, for the most part, are ten per cent, fact and the balance pure hot-air. The public is tired of the subject. It is to be hoped that this fact will be borne m mind by those who make it their pet theme.