A KING COUNTRY EVIL

Taihape Daily Times, 21 June 1919, Page 6

A KING COUNTRY EVIL

f . ’ SLY GROG-SELLING POSITION’ IN TAUMARUNUI, « BOROUGH CONCIL ALARMED. TAUMARUNUI, June 18. The question. of 51:’ grog-selling in Taumarunui came before last night's meeting of the Borugoh Council, when a letter was received f"o'n Mr. F. E. Otto, scCertar:,' cf the Chamber of Commerce. referring to the “alarming spread of tut; degrading practice?’ The '.:h:lmbcr_ iiud taken up the matter ser‘o".~-:=.jv with the authorities, and he had h..c:. directed to invite the support. of the council_ It Was evident, Mr, Otto continued, that the local police had great. difficulty in obtaining e.3nvu:ci-ans, and it was considered that if the ‘au.thOrit.ies were’ approaczxwl and -zuu-':..si-ila assistance “sought, mur:‘n.'might be done to elimina-'.‘e the evil. . I The Rev. J. E. Ward moved: “Tliat this council expresses its great d;s--‘pleasurc with the practice of sly grogselling in this town,, and that 3 copy of theresolution be iorwuvxtlerl to the Minister-in-Charge 01' Police." “I know,” said Mr \Vard, “that a man runs a certain amouxit of risk in going against these people, but a man should do his duty Without hav~ ing to be subjected to f:_)r»3.;s‘.l=.'-3_ We approached the police some 3‘;-us ago but I don't thing much Wis done as a result. “The _council should not try to white-Wash those responsible for the deplorable state of drift of law and order in Taumarunui. The police are paid for the purpose, and it is not fair to eiipcct the public or the local 3 authorities to do the work. i It should’ «be c:om.pa.rativelf_y Vealsy, : added Mr. VVard, to detect sly-grog,g and to render impossible the sights; now seen in. the main thoroughfare. 1 At Otorohanga, Te Kuiti, and Oha-If Rune, open liquor shops- were not al- j allowed. He did not think the law re— 5 quiz-ed a.mendmcnt._ Serious crimes of, other kinds were committed in Tau-E marunui, and they were undetected. I Mr. G. Y. Canton, Who seconded thé motion, said the council should try* to make the town clean and honest. Unfortunately, the ‘liquor evil hadg crept. in, and the position /seemed al- 1 most beyond "control. i

Mr. D. R_ Bl'oWn:’VVhat does the Council expect us to do? The Mayor: To support their ac tion», I take it. Mr. Brown: Beyond all doubt the position is becoming alarming, and I am quite willing to give the chamber all the support we can. Mr. M. Dunn: If the chamber had come down with a concrete proposal and suggested the establishment of two hotels in Taumarunui, I would support them. Otherwise, '1 am against them_ I have not Seen The abuses referred to. The Government should be urged to give us the rights of free men and have the hotels. . Mr-_ G. E. Manson: Hear, hear. _The Mayor (Mr. G. F_ Steadman): I have been in the King Country for 25 years, ‘and I have seen much of this matter. Why should there _be a. little “pocket” in the country‘? The whole Dominion should have licenses. What was the use of the vote to us? I want to see the law altered. Mr. W. H, Fletcher: The whole thing is too general There is no “E’hange_. I am satisfied that the evil is i nour midst, and in 3. WOISC form fthna. in the earlier years. If the Justice Department cannot overcome the difficulty, what can the Council do? 5' Mr. G. E. Manson thought the coun¢3l Md °“°‘‘~‘:’'h .150 d9‘. Witlioult con’sidering such matters. The police are quite capable of do'ing”wha't. was ne-cessar-y. He favoured the establishment of hotels. There was no evidence of sly-grog selling. Certainly, there were drunken men, but it was ‘possible to obtain liquor in a" perfectly legal way. 4 ' A

Mr. Dunne: Could We add a clause ugring the Government to establish hotels here? Mr." J. Maher: It is hopeless. The motion was carried by six votes to two. ‘