SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1894. A BIG DRUNK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4689, 7 April 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1894. A BIG DRUNK.

Never have we seen so many tipsy people reeling and tottering about Masterten as we have noticed recpntly. The town has swarmed with men see-sawing about in the early morn, at noon and in the evening There h no concealment or disguise about them, indeed it is sometimes difficult to throw a stone down Queen street without hitting one, They bang on to friendly fence!), staler against convenient walla and occa-

Bionnllv collapse altogether. Everybody sees them excepting the police, but then Justice has to he blind because if they were all run in it would take a drill hall to hold them. The mystery is how they get into snob a condition, because it is of course well known that our publicans do not supply men who show signs of intoxiand yet it is quite apparent tnat- tipsy men in Mastertondoget liquor in order to reach that exceedingly tipsy state in which they are l commonly observed. Apparently the I Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act is producing some new and remarkable developments which must be very gratifying to prohibitionists. All the object lessons, which aro needed to inspire horror at the state of the trade in Masterton, are to be found in broad daylight in its streets. and justice, as we have saidj is blind or bus to be blind. We are even told that one object lesson recently rioiicrd in this town was a tipsv Justice of the Peace, one of those brand new magistrates forwliom we are indebted tothe present administration and of whom we are naturally proud. When a drunken Justice of the Peace staggers out of a public house down a street we think the police should interfere, not, of course, with a view to deprive him of his liberty, for that would mean a contempt ol the Cabinet which had selected him from amongst his fellows to admonish and punish evil doers, but merely to render him such assistance

for the preservation of bis dignity as his condition roqniros. Wo would ask tLo Hon. the Minioier for Justice to give instructions for a constable in plain clothes to bo detached as an escort to any gentleman Magistrate who is incapacitated from walking subtly or uprightly. We submit nut it is not respectful to Her Majesty to one of Her Magistrates to be Sfien either reeling along a street or tumbling into a gutter. We do not advocate any undue interference On the part otthe police whioli may prejadion the _ Alcoholic Liquors gale Control Act from havinga fair trial, but wedo consider that when Magistrates are, found to have succumbed'to the alco hok liquor, or the sale of it, or the control of lUa the case may be, some special prevision should be made for their protection. As to the general body of drunks, we would recommend that tho new Licensing Committee should lease tbe Drill Hall us a refuge/ and employ an ambiilince corps to run them in, It would be better both for the inebriates and for the public that the former should be cleared off tbe streets, and that the town should haveatleasi an appearance of sobriety