The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 406, 16 August 1877, Page 2

The Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1877.

Nothing but the strictest supervision of the police will have the effect of obliterating the pernicious system of sly-grog selling that has gained so firm a root in Oamaru and along the line of road between here and Dunedin. It is no exti'avagance to state that there are at the present time 110 less than twelve wellknown sly-grog selling establishments in this town, and upwards of twenty almost immediately 011 the road from here to Dunedin. The police authorities are blaineable for this. "We wish it distinctly to be understood that by police authorities we do not mean the four policemen stationed in this town, two only of which are available at an}' one time. It would be obviously unfair to lay the onus of the present disgraceful infringement of our licensing laws upon their shoulders. Like other human creatures, they, not possessing the power of omnipresence, can only be in one place at a time, and, with a spy 011 the alert to dodge the " bobby," it would be a difficult matter to catch these transgressors in flagrante delicto. would not for the world strike fear into the hearts of those gentlemen with whom we have formed so pleasant an acquaintance, nor strew their present rosy path with thorns ; but we would say, Beware ! A horrible and almost unavoidable doom is in store for you. Sell your stock of villanous compounds whilst you have an opportunity, and purchase no more. This is a little friendly advice from those who admire your unexampled impudence, and which, if taken, will enable you to conserve your ill-gotten gains, for the attainment of which you have sacrificed every particls of honour that may originally have been intended to hold sway in your miserably sordid natures.