A SLY GROG-SHOP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 272, 15 November 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

A SLY GROG-SHOP.

Ko, 4.-The effect of prohibition Ivould be to turn the whole of New Zealand Into \ a sly grog shop.

New Zealand is a sly grog-shop already, and under the protection of license is likely to continue so. The ifacts that daily come to light evidence a vast and iniquitous system of sly grog-selling aud law-breaking1 •which, under license, tin police are powerless to prevent. The report of the N.Z. Police Commissioner for the present year, published in the Auckland papers for July loth, shows that during the year there were 148 prosecutions ior sly grog-selling; that 4nere were 219 prosecutions against publicans; that there were 168 arrests for drunkenness en Sunday; and adds, "The present state of the la-.? renders It difficult for the police to successfully cope with this class of illeg-ul traffic."

The "Otag-o Daily Tines," Rioted In

the local intelligence of the "N.Z. Herald," for 16th June, of present year, declares, "The amount of drunkenness that is encountered in the streets at the present time cannqjb possibly be regarded as the product of one or two hotels* jnly. It is fairly evident that in quite a number of houses in town drinking to excess is allowed, if not encouraged. This repeated exhibition of drunkenness in the streets, often in the person of young men and boys, constitutes a serious menace to the existence of the trade."

From these unimpeachable witnesses comes the indictment that, under license, New Zealand is a sly grog-shop. When Prohibition is carried law-breakers will be more easily handled by the police than they can possibly be under the existing law; and that the brewers know better than we do.