POLICE—GOOD WORK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1148, 8 June 1911, Page 2

POLICE—GOOD WORK.

-—— —c - j IN SLY GROG CASES. TIUBUTE BY LICENSING BENCH. Appreciation 'if the manner in which the local police had set about suppressing illicit liquor traffic in the city was expressed by the Wellington Licensing Committee at the annual meeting yesterday. Tho chairman (Dr. A. M'Artlmr, S.M.) remarked that the committee desired him to express its iippri-ciation of the way in which Inspector Ellison and his officers had conducted proceedings against sly grog-sellers. The inspector's energy was well known, and (he committee owed him an occasional apology for not having always lent him the necessary assistance to" enforce his recommendations. In future, however, the committee, without being too strict or severe, was determined to make up lor an? laxity in the past by seeing that, his . recommendations were carried out. Tho commit too also desired to express its appreciation of the way in which Sergeant Kutledge and Constable M'Kelvey had acted in tho endeavour to suppress sly grog-selling in tho populous part of the city. The difficult nature of the work which those officers had to do was appreciated by the committee, and ho thought that they ought to receivo the support of every licensee, and that the unlicensed salo of liquor ought to be put down at once. 110 had been asked to convey tho thanks of the committee to Inspector Ellison, and also _to Sergeant Rutlcdge and Constable. M'Kelvey, for the extra work which ,they had undertaken in order to discover unlicensed dealers in liquor. Tho committee, added the chairman, had thought so much about the matter that it had passed the following resolution, which it thought ought to be made public:— "That the Wellington Licensing Committee desires to draw the attention of the Minister for Justice to tho fact that t.ho Licensing Act, 1908, does not limit the hours within which liquor may be sold by holders of wholesale licenses, as it does in tho ease of holders of other licenses authorised to be issued under that Act, and respectfully suggests that the Act be amended so as to limit tho hours within which liquor may . be sold by the holders of licenses." . The committee, he continued, had no desire to reflect upon wholesale licensees as a body, for it knew that in nearly every case they were above suspicion in that matter. They opened their premises •at S a.m. and closed at G p.m.; but there were instances in which tho committee knew—ono case at least—that the premises had been kept open long after those hours. Inspector Ellison expressed thanks for the remarks made by the chairman in reference to the police. .Sergeant Rutledgc and Constable .M'Kelvey, ho said, had discharged their duties with tho utmost satisfaction, and under very difficult and arduous conditions. Mr. Tripe, who was acting for a large number of wholesale merchants and licensees, expressed cordial approval of the suggestions coming from the Bench. He was perfectly sure that all reputable merchants and licensees in tho city would endorse what the chairman had said about Inspector Ellison and the members of his staff.

Jfr. J. .T. M'Grnth, who was appearing for tho Licensed Victuallers* Association, paid that the association would be only too ready (o give tho police information and assistance in detecting tho illicit salo of liquor. Tlioy wero much obliged to Inspector Ellison and to Sergeant Kutledgo and Constable Jf'lCclvey for asMst,ing to remove the stigma cast upon them of having sold liquor on Sundays, For thcro was a time when, if people were seen going about drunk on Sundays, tho odium of it was laid at the door of tlio hotel licensee.