DEALING WITH DRUNKARDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 2

DEALING WITH DRUNKARDS

FASCISTTS NOVEL METHODS (By Electric Telegraph. Copyright.) (Australian & N.Z. Gable Association.) LONDON, Dec. 21. The Daily Chronicle’s Rome correspondent says that after a fortnight ,s 1 efforts drunken,ness and crime have banished from Allesandria, in Lombardy. First of all drunkards were cured by doses of castor oil. Then habitual thieves and blackguards were collected at a thieves’ conference and told they would b : e soundly cudgelled unless they changed their habit. It took two days to cure drunkenness. Bands of stalwart Fascist!, armed with thick sticks, paraded the streets and every person even moderately under the influence of liquor was seized and given a very stiff dose of castor oil and warned that next time he would be soundly beaten. Fascist! also ordered that a supply of caistor oil be kept in every public house and placards exhibited declaring what drunkards are liable to, LONDON, Dec. 21. Ex-criminals sought the Fascist! headquarters, where they were housed until employment was found. Meanwhile all gambling establishments were closed and low class theatres and kinemas supervised. Castor oil and cudgels will probably he carried like a Fiery Cross through Italy, as Mussolini telegraphed his approval of the methods of Alessandria’s Fascist!.