NO LICENSE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 11 March 1913, Page 3

NO LICENSE.

A VISITOR'S SIGNS. M'' Parry Trott, the famous Auscricketer, who visited Masterton with the South Melbourne team, writing to the Dominion, gives the following impressions of Masterton 1 under No-license:— "It was at Masterton that our first cricket engagement was booked, and wo had discovered before we arrived that we were going "to see life" for a few days in a Prohibition town. In our team we had a team of moderate drinkers —I don't think anyone was a. staunch teetotaller. All but three, hardly averaged one drink a week of intoxicating liquor, and so \w arrived with unbiased minds. Before we Left Masterton we had mostly cmne to the conclusion that a ( f.no little town had been half buried j for the lack of a little something. ( Why on earth a man cannot have a' "wee droppie" when he feels that he wants it without having the feeling come over him that he is doing something unlawful, I cannot imagine. Well, we h<ad it, and perhaps had it at times more than Ave really required or wanted. You could meet a friend in the street, and after a. short conversation ho would ask yon if you \ were "dry," and after answering; in | the affirmative he would draw out from his inside coat pocket a flask with a silver cup attachment, and we would 1 do the rest. iNo, in my humble opinion no laws will put down drinking, but State-controlled houses might mitigate the evil, and at the same time give a. man better liquor to consume. We enjoyed Masterton (with all its drawbacks). A better lot of sportsmen it would be hard to find in any part of the Dominion, We enjoyed a lovely motor drive in the early morning, all the cars being > driven by private owners, who seemed much as we enjoyed being driven by them. A fine "smoke night"' was also tendered to ns, and I might say prohibition took no part at that festive board, for we had as much to drink as we desired. We were met at Masterton by two gentlemen from Wellington in Mr Arthur George and Mr Jolm Cusack—two of the nrr.mote.rs of ous tour —and needless to say they showered, upon us every kindness imaginable."