CAROUSAL IN INVERCARGILL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 22 May 1911, Page 5

CAROUSAL IN INVERCARGILL

STATEMENT BY HON. G. FOWLDS. By Telegraph:—Press Association. . Wellington, Last Night. Questioned by a New Zealand Times' representative Concerning the alleged disgraceful carousal in the park reserve at Invcrcargill on a recent Saturday night and Sunday, the Hon. G. Fowlds, Acting-Minister of Justice, said that from reports he had received he was ot opinion that the published accounts gave an exaggerated account of what had occurred. "It appeared- from these reports," said the Minister, "that one individual purchased an 18-gallon keg of beer, and, with some companions, took it into the show ground, and being joined by some other persons, the beer was consumed. The night being -wet, some of the party remained all night in the shelter of some of the buildings on the ground. The place in question is outside the borough of Invercargill proper, is fenced with a close boarded fence, and is separated from the public street by a considerable space, and a belt of trees. There is no suggestion that the residents of the vicinity or the general public were annoyed by or saw anything of what was going on. The occurrence is very regrettable, and reflects discredit on those concerned in it, but I think it only fair to the citizens of Invcrcargill and the police to say that there was no disturbance, that the drinking took place in a secluded spot out of the town, and that, as far (is can be gathered, no breach of the law took place."