Ashburton Immoderates.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2650, 19 April 1905, Page 2

Ashburton Immoderates.

The special reporter of the Ashburton " Mail " lately interviewed some of the Ashburton " immpder-r ates to elect from them their views on the subject of the Effect of No- 1 Licence on Thins^ m General andy on Business m Particular The task was hedged abour with difficulties, and early m the day our representa-r; tive fouu that the subjects of his interviewing evinced an Uiaccoun table antipathy to their names being used m connection with the* opinions which they expressed. ; . „ ■ One of the subjects interviewed is known as " Tommy the Dodger," and the result of the interview, is worth printing :— .Thomas showed a desire to impart information with much verbosity and when " boiled down " his observations amount to the following QHe objects to NoLicense for three reasons : Ist, Because it is an infringement of the Liberty of the Subject ; 2nd. Because it involves " ten times as much drunkenness as there was m the License days"; and 3rd, Because formerly he could get a glass of beer for 3d, while now he has to pay 6d tor a smaller glass of inferior liquor. " And how do you account for the large increase of insobriety m Ashburton ?" •" Well, I'll tell yer ! Yer see nowadays heverybody wot can afford it, buys beet by the barrel, and as it won't keep, they 'aye to finish it off quick." Heverybody does it even the bloomin' Prohibitionists, They keep sober a" long as they're about town, but go ' ome at night and drink- tiil they're blind paralytic screwed I" "Do you expect me to believe that?'' "It's a bloomin 1 fack If ; you was "to. call on old F- — — or A or I- — — my night after 10, y>u'd find them aa sqiffy as a howl!' " And \ yet you find it difficult to procure— er -medical comforts which you so appreciiate.?'' " Can't get. so much as k - sn.it! of drink any were. They're too hloomin' haristocratic to let me inter the Giub, the ,sly-groggers sez I (sanguinary) full, so they vvori't let ma aye anythin'c, m case the cops finds me, and I can't run the price of a (bad word) keg." Another gentleman interviewed has a very large business as an Uqlicensed Victualler, and his opinions may be taken as representative of the views of the members of the Unlicensed Victuallers' Association. When the reporter called, this gentle man was busy serving customers, one at a time, but on a lull occurring our friend came forward and requested to know to what he owed the pleasure of seeing the reporter upon his premises. On being informed of the reporters mission he became ex-, tremely communicative. Although not approving of the principle of NoLicense as being an infringement of the unalienable right of every British I subject to get as drunk as he liked, he had very little personal objection to the state of affairs m Ashburton. His business showed, very little sign of depression, and he was better off now than he ever was m his life before. .." Is not your calling rather risky?" ventured the reporter. "It \ u&ed to be," replied the purveyor of ( tanglefoot, " but we have recently perfected a system whereby risk is j practically obviated. The experience { of the Licensing Acts gained m the ' series of prosecutions against mem- . bers of the Association has been ' very valuable " " And what is your system?" " I must refuse to give any information upon that point, as << it might be used fey the Police to the

detriment of my trade ; I may say, however, that I and my customers understand one another, and if I get into Court, I look to them to clear me." " You mean that you and your customers are prepared to perjure themselves?" " Yes, we will all lie like Ananias, and m the absence of any direct evidence against me, I am bound to get off" " That is a very candid way of putting it. Do you experience any difficulty m getting m your money?". " Except m the case of a few old friends, I do a strictly cash business, 400 per cent profit and quick returns." "Do you suffer by competition with other members of our Association?" "To a very slight* extent. The Association is limitedw as to members and a few regular clients are enough to ensure me a I good profit." « May I use your name m connection with this interview?" I ' I don't think so, " said the unlicensed one, laughingly, " It might cause the j Prohibitionists tn boycott me." ■Pleased- to find that at least one business man was m a flourishing I condition the reporter departed.