LICENSED PUBLICANS AND SLY GROG SELLERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 250, 19 October 1904, Page 10

LICENSED PUBLICANS AND SLY GROG SELLERS.

(To the Editor.) Sir.—l could hardly believe mv eves when I read Mr S.M. Kettle's remarks on the recent sly grog selling case. Can anyone really think that these so-called informers tempted the defendants to break the law? We all know, as a matter of fact, that any man or woman in Auckland, barring a policeman or a suspected prohibitionist, could get a drink at any time in any one of these sly grog shanties, which, unfortunately for us. are more plentiful liian hotels in the city of Auckland. We. the publicans of Auckland, have been trying honestly to obey the licensing law, and are so much under police control that we can be fined for having men in our hotels after hours, without their requiring to prove that liquor was sold during that time. We have abundance of proof that sly grog shops have increased at least one hundred per cent, since we have gone in for strictly closing on Sunday. The consequence is, j these sly grog sellers are making the j money which we are losing by our observance of the law. " Under the Licensing Act we are compelled to pay £40 a year for our licenses, keep a street lamp burning all night, only cell between certain hours

daily, and not at publican owns his house ami? ' rif » cd three times of selline during ooo ** itcd hours he actually lo_e?" ? P - r^,b - ---and is ruined, and all the timlV** 6 sellers can sell with impunity*, K^ B Saturday and Sunday. Notwfi what anyoue may say to the we have a just claim t 0 against sly grog sellers, are convicted upon the e vid«- c J' 7 formers or not. Most of &_fc„_ S" wno are what might b 8 caned as of sly grog shops would not fif to give lalse evidence rather t__ * U culpa te those who oblige thlm - n " drink when it is unobtaiiS it where. I can hardly understand 1 people generally have such a dom,?* en informers, for after all it _-_j t T admitted they are only tempoSrVJ* tectives employed by the Polr<- jv n .£ ment, because the permanent dete-iir and the ordinary uniformed member- of the force would be quite unable evidence to secure a conviction, whcrStbese men can go in, and without tW ing the sly grog seller in any way-w just in the ordinary course of besirlea —purchase the liquor, as those did who bought before and after them, only that on their evidence the police take action with the result that perhaps those who have been stealing our legitimate Wu . fits are fined. lam glad to see that }ir Bussh, tho Thames Warden,-has shown his determination to put down sly grog selling, and so assist those who are trying to conduct their lice n ---i house respectably. How can the" police piP down % grog selling without the aid ofdetei fives or informers?—l am, eti, A PUBLICAN