THE HOT LAKES CHRONICLE AND Tourists' Journal. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1895.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 2, Issue 131, 7 August 1895, Page 2

THE HOT LAKES CHRONICLE AND Tourists' Journal. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1895.

Acconj-iXo to the Auckland Herald vigorous stops have been taken by the authorities to prevent any persons "commencing 1 ' all illicit trade in liquor amongst the road parties in the Uruwera Country, and in consequence of the vigilance manifested the sly grog sellers have heen deterred from commencing operations. "We do not of course, know the sources of the Herald's information or inspiration in giving currency to this statement but we do know that sly grog selling is as rampant in tho neighborhood of the road parties' operations near Galatea and Te Whaiti us it usually is where gangs of men are massed together and no licensed house within call. The police, no doubt, exercised as much vigilance as they usually do in such cases, but it must be remembered that even in the police force it is possible to find men Hint are hot rabid prohibitionists but, who are prone to think that the peddling of grog, in a mountainous country, in the dead of winter, is but a venial offence. At tho hist sittings of the Licensing Committee held in Taurangaj readers of tho Chronicle report at the time may remember were submitted of a hotel •.■iiich it was proposed to erect .ic Galatea if the Committee \v,.iid give an assurance that the removal of a license from n „ existing hotel in tho district to tho new house would be granted. Objections wore certainly made, but it is now a matter of local history that the most strenuous opposition was offered by a legal gentleman who was too zealously guarding tho interests oi the very client for whose benefit the application was made, but of which by some inadvertence the objector had n.it been apprised. However, the objections made evidently weighed with the bench, for in spite of tho testimony of reputable witnesses, one of whom, Mr E. Itobertson, is a warm advocate of temperance principles, the request was refused. idnco tho licensing meeting we have made enquiry into the matter and find the statements then made as to the necessity for such a houso to meet the wants of the travelling public fully substantiated. In addition to this it is, whatever may be said to the contrar3', notoriously the case that sly grog selling to an alarming extent is carried on at Galatea. As one informant graphically puts it, —" Every second wharo you enter there is a sly grog shanty, and had grog at that." Under these circumstances we would submit that one licensed house, which would be subject to police supervision, is better by far than half a dozen illicit whiskey solleis under no control whatever. At present any efforts made by the police are rendered futile. With the sly gro< r seliers on tho one hand and their sympathisers on the other they are "between the devil and the deep blue sea," and scarcely know where to turn for evidence, even if they were inspired by the most ardent enthusiasm in tho matter, which is scarcely likely under tho circumstances. If a licensed house wore established illicit liquor selling would soon be a thing of the past as the jiolice, tho licensee, and the residents would move hand in handin The evil will never be eradicated by the warning voice of Lieut. Humo who, we are informed by the Herald, has cautioned the natives " against being accessory to the introduction of liquor to the camps."