LIQUOR ON TROOP TRAINS.
I GOVERNMENT TO STOP IT. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT, By Telegraph. —Press Association. Wellington, March 27. A statement about the regulations regarding the supply of liquor to returned soldiers travelling on .troop trains was made by the Minister for Defence. '•There is a matter," said the Minister, "which I should like to bring under the notice of the public. It is the question of the supply of liquor to soldiers on trains. I don't think the public realise there are regulations in existence which prohibit this, and I want to call attention to it in order that, if the regulations should be enforced in the future more stringently, the public may not be taken by surprise. The necessity for it arises owing to the faet that liquor has been supplied to soldiers on troop trains. "1 had a very pathetic letter from a lady the other day, a portion of which I will quote. I should say this is only one of several similar complaints I have received. The writer says: 'lt is the moat pathetic sight to see a mother meet her soldier son who is drunk. Our hearts ached, the other day when one of our most respectable families had this mortification. Only a few 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 hotel bars close to railway stations when trains carrying soldiers are going through, but there are difficulties about doing this, and the Government is of opinion it may be more advisable to administer strictly the regulations. I draw attention to clause 4 of the regulations of November 15, 1915. 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 a troop train' must be read as applicable not only to those men who for the time being are actually on boird train, but also to men who, during the course of their train journey, may at any time be off the train, e.g., men who temporarily leave the train at a railway station. The term 'troop train 1 is defined in the War Regulations phamplet as being not only a train reserved wholly for the purposes of the defence forces, but also an ordinary train wholly or chiefly, used for the carrying of men of the forces. "I have written to the Minister in Charge of the Police asking him to take special steps to see that these regulations are strictly carried out. I want to appeal to the public of New Zealand to assist the Defence Department in their! very earnest endeavor to return the soldiers to their homes without any of the evil consequences of over-indulgence 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 of 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 a grave danger of a serious accident happening. I felt greatly relieved when our train got out if the station, without any sucli accident occurring. It is positively dangerous to J the men themselves to have men under jj the influence of liquor travelling in trains , If an accident should happen from this 1 cause I don't think the Railway Department could be blamed, and the Defence Department could not be blamed, but the civilians who defy regulations by supplying liquor to soldiers on trains must be blamed.
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Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1919, Page 6
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665LIQUOR ON TROOP TRAINS. Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1919, Page 6
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