DRUNKEN SOLDIERS.

Taihape Daily Times, 31 March 1919, Page 7

DRUNKEN SOLDIERS.

SIR JAMES ALLEN SPEAKS OUT.

REGULATIONS TO BE ENFORCED

BELATED PROPOSALS.

WELLINGTON, March 27

A statement about the regulations j regarding the supply of liquor to re- I turned soldiers travelling on trooptrains was made by the Minister of Defence. "There is a matter," said j the Minister "winch ,1 'should like | to bring under the notice of the pub- ; lie. It is the question of the supply \ of liquor to soldiers on trains. I don't think the public realise that there arc regulations in existence which prohibit this, and I want to call attention to it, in order, if the regulations should be enforced more stringently in the future, the public may .iot be taken by surprise. The necessity of it arises owing to the fact that liquor has been supplied to soldiers on troop trains. I had a very pathetic letter from a lady the other day. a portion of which I win quote. I should say this is only one of several similar complaints I have received. The writer says: "It is a most pathetic sight to see a mother meet her soldier son who is drunk. Our hearts ached the other day when one of our most respected families had this mortification. Only a row i days ago a weeping mother was seen guiding her staggering boy along our ■ railway platform.' " Sir James Allen continued: The Government has considered the question of closing the hotel bars close to the railway stations when trains carrying soldiers are going through, but there are difficulties about doing this, and the Government is of opinion that it may be more advisable to administer strictly the regulations. I draw attention to Clause 4 of the Regulations of N.cvcmber 15th.- lf)lu. This clause not only makes it an offence to have intoxicating liquor on troop trains, but also to supply liquor to any person being carried in a troop train. The expression 'being carried in troop trains' used, may be read as applicable not only to those men who for the time being arc actually on board tn? train, but also to men who during the course of their train journey may at any time leave the train e.g., men who temporarily leave the train at a railway station. The term "troop Vain reserved wholly for the purposes tion pamphlet as being not only a train reserved wholyl for the purposes of the Defence forces, but also an ordinary train wholly or chiefly used for the carriage of man of the forces. I have writeen to the Minister in

charge of the police asking him to

take special steps to see these regulations iare strictly carridd out. I want to appeal to the public of New Zealand to assist the Defence Department in their earnest endavour to return soldiers to their homes without any of the evil consequences of overindulgence in intoxicating liquor. There is no doubt about the need for these precautions I saw myself the most urgent need for it when I was travelling in a train which crossed a troop train at a way station. When our train was approaching a number or men, some of them wearing returned soldiers' badges, and others of them wearing uniform, who were undoubtedly the worse for liquor, got out of the troop train. Some of the men actually crossed the track in front of our train to get on to the platform, and it seemed to me there was grave clanger of a serious accident happening. I felt greatly relieved when our train got out of the station without any such accident occuring. It is positively dangerous to the men themselves to have men under the influence of liquor travelling in trains. If a« accident should happen from thrs cause. I don't, think the Railway Department could be blamed, and tnei Defence could not be blamed, but the civilians who defy the regulations by s ppuyliilgnliq v(shipsre'tinieto edtp supplying liquor to soldiers on trains must be blamed.'