Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1895. PROHIBITION IN CLUTHA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5211, 19 December 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1895. PROHIBITION IN CLUTHA.

O.N a recent occasion, Mr R, S. Hawkins, S.M., condemned prohibition in Clutlia, as a failure. The following comment on Mr Hawkins' remarks, appears in the columns of the Emrint] Post:—

11 Truth," lakinß to task Mr Hawkins, S.M., lor his recent remark from the Bench, that prohibition is a tailuie iu the Cluthn district, says, if the Magistrate weie honest, he would tell the world bat prohibition has never yet been tried iu Clutlia. While no fewer than fix different kids of licenses are perfectly lawful there; while several wholisalo licenses granted by Mr Hawkins himself, are in fullswing; while the Poli-jc Forco is more or less in leasue with the liquor traffic, silence would best become this legal luminary. License has lieen on its trial for over 50 years in this Colony, and its absolute fßilure is admitted by ail. Eeferring to I lutlia ns a prohibition district, cither from the Bench or in newspaper bead-lines, our correspondent thinkß, is simply idiotic, The allegation that in the Clutlia district tlio police force is more or less in league with the liquor traffic, is a serious one, but throughout the Colony it in generally thought that the polico have, in many instances, become demoralised, and are to all practical intents and purposes the tools of tlio publicans to defeat the operation of the licensing law. This state of things has arisen from political causes. The present Government has not scrupled to turn the police force info a political engine. A good policeman is a man who helps the Government candidate at election time, and a bad one is a man who thinks more of his duty to the public than of his political obligations to the Government. The money, the votes, and the influence of both publicans and polico are requisitioned ' when needed, and are not usually found wanting. The constable who sevvea the Government in an election campaign is practically granted an indemnity for all offences which he may commit for the succeeding three years. If a thousand breaches of the Licensing Act bo committed, not a single one will come under, liis cognisance or observation. This is a mystery, and some people wonder what the police are paid to do. They are so blind to all that they don't want to see, they are so deaf to all that thoy don't want to hear, and the only indication of life in them is frequently a thirst for stimulants that cannot be disguised. We can understand that prohibition in Clutlia is a failure if there be thirsty policemen there. On this point we are unable to express an opinion. We do, however, know that throughout the Colony temptation besets the path Of the constable, and that in numberless instances he falls a prey to ,-it. Of course, not all members of tho forco are intemperate, but there lis good reason to believe that a con-

siderablo per centnge of them can be so classed, and thai if one man more than another is favoured by the Government it is .the tippling policeman. He is the inan of the right colour, and the man who can secure the publican's vote, and really this is all the Government seems to require at his hands. Unless the police administration nt Olutlia is very different to what it is in other parts of the Colony, prohibition there must be a sorry farce.