SLY GROG-SELLING IN THE KING COUNTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12271, 15 May 1903, Page 7

SLY GROG-SELLING IN THE KING COUNTRY.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir,l have to inform your correspondents, R. French and "A.D." that the letter referred to by them and published in a previous edition of your paper under the initials " B.K'," is a gross libel on the eo-opera-tivo workers on the Trunk line. He speaks of the hundreds of families, women, and children, who are kept in poverty and want through the grog-selling. I don't think there arc more than 50 families living on the whole line, and although the charge of sly grogselling cannot be denied, still, I don't think that the day after the monthly pay would 1 find more than 1 per cent, of the men absent from work through drink. Considering the miscellaneous collection of workers employed, I don't think this is so very terrible. But even the sly-gro*, shops have not been an unmitigated evil here, I can assure you. Epidemics of a kind of cholera, influenza, and other complaints are frequent here, some of them caused through drinking bad water, , want of a regular supply of fresh vegetables, and an insufficiently varied diet. There is neither a medical man nor a chemist within | a distance of 80 miles. Now, what are people I to do ? Die, I suppose, for the want of a drop I of brandy, whisky, or other stimulant. When people rush into" print, they should be more sure of their facts. There is ' absolutely no foundation for • such a wild-cat statement .as that made by "W.8.K." At the local option poll the residents voted strongly in favour of licensed houses, and as there i? now an overwhelm-. ing majority of white residents, the people : should have the opportunity, in common with people in more civilised places, of being allowed the option— or no-license. I write this on a three years' experience of the King Country, and am consequently fully aware of the facts.— am, etc., Yokel.

Ongarue, May 9, 1903.