SUNDAY TRADING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9926, 4 January 1893, Page 6

SUNDAY TRADING.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —On Sunday night I devoted the time between 8.30 and ten o’clock in visiting five hotels in this city, and from what I then saw I deliberately say the police are grossly neglecting their duty. I have in other places seen Sunday trading done, but there has generally been a bit of dodging about.; looking this way and that, to see if anybody was looking, then a peculiar knock, door partly opened, then slip in. But there was no need of that on Sunday night. Back doors stood open, and just a stream of people in and out, some very drunk, particularly two women. I did not seek to hide the fact that I was watching. I went up to one door, and found a little girl standing in the doorway. I said, “You ore letting them in and oat pretty fast/’ She stood speechless, then told her little brother to tell father he was wanted. I stood a little time to see if father would come; hut he did not. The door was shut and fastened directly. Two men came up and seemed quite surprised to find the door fastened. They knocked, but, poor, thirsty souls, had to go away. Directly came another, with the same result. I thought business stopped at that house for the present, so I moved off. Not because I have the least wrong feeling towards publicans or police, but because of the demoralising influence of this abominable traffic, especially on the Sabbath day, I feel it my duty, and have decided to bring the matter under the notice of the Minister for Justice.—l am, &c„ J. KNOTT.