OVER THE BORDER

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1932, Page 8

OVER THE BORDER

FROM -AMERICA TO MEXICO. •NEW ZEALANDEIt RETURNS HOME Horse racing, open gambling, and liquor being prohibited oy the State laws, American capitalists concern tne idea of crossing over the Californian border into Mexico, and there providing for the freedom of action and indulgence debarred by their .own country, much to the advantage-of the investors, and the Mexican Government. Two places,', which have been createu hy A-merME'just 'over, the, border are Agua Caliehte arid i'i*a Juana, which ar e over a‘-'Kiiniired mjjes from Los -Angeles, *a' live-hour drive in a irioro'r-ear. "

Both places were visited by the managers of the New Zealand and Australian Olympic teams, Messrs P. Rundle and Eve during their visit to California. They were accompanied by Mr T. W. Leslie, the official starter, of Wellington, who. gives a picture of these Mexican resorts* r “Agua Caliente,” -said Mr Leslie, ‘is fjimply one great big beautiful hotel, with the very latest modern ap- : po-'-tments \ V-t to suit the climate. It stands in lovely grounds, and ; has the most wonderful swimming • pool. People, in N>w Zealand may not i understand the luxury that exists in : these wonderful -swimming, ‘pools. In -th e first place, the temperatures range !: up to 100 in the shade, and for nine -months in the year the place is exposed to the radiant heat of the desert country, all round. So bashing and' dimming in fresh water v pools - becomes a luxury, and -endless money is spent on them.

'‘Quite -near to tile hotel is the racecourse, which is kept in good order, 'though I would not compare it to Trentham -or fEHerslie. • Otherwise there is- no town or residence at Agua Caliente. ' ' "

-“Just about -a mile and a hal-f away from the racecourse, however- is th° town of Tua Juatta,” continued Mr (Leslie. “Here you are able to see -a pretty free sort of life which is sometimes shown on the pictures. Tua Juana ip a town about 2Go yards in length, lined on either side by. saloons,, not very pretentious in "character. These saloons pretty well -follow the one laybut. These are -drinking bars on each side, and -down the centre of these long rooms are the means to gamble roulette j cards, dice, anything you like— and rat the end is a • stage io- 1 dancing and vaudevilie turns. “Here you can- get any kind of drink you like to pay for,” said Mr Leslie, “but you must hot take any back with you over the border into - G-iliforn-.il: Every -car is . diligently searched by Custom and police officials. They wont 'ey.en.ra'Uflv ra l ..dj‘un.k,oP .mfta.to enter .the State. If there are people under suspicion of being intoxicated they .are piade -to walk a -straight line and are submitted to other tests, if found to be drink, they are detained-. .-'Slightly drunken people- are - -walked -vigorously bp and down until they are jolted and Exercised into something approaching sobriety.

“That -there are venturesome people Who do try to beat the law was quite evident;” said Mr ’ Leslie. ,“A Black Maria is always kept at the border for, the reception of -poi'-ice - cases, When We came through a Woman was sitting bn the steps of the wagon crying .because -her man had been arrested for some offence and was in the Maria.”