THE FOOL PROHIBITION LAW.

NZ Truth, Issue 66, 22 September 1906, Page 5

THE FOOL PROHIBITION LAW.

HOW OAMARUITES EVADE IT.

The "Club" Dodge Wont Do.

A Perambulatory Public-house.

They are a very clubable peoole at Oamaru, particularly sinGe;no license' planted its hated hoof m the centre of the stone town. Coteries of friends are said to meet for social intercourse, and to debate social problems that aren't agitating the community, and to absord hop juice. This pleasant social system has been m operation since the end of June, when the pubs closed their doors with a loud bang. But such a quantity of the product of the hop has been got through latterly that the police moved, and had a go at Charles Kearns, making the allegation that he was a sly grog seller of the deepest dye. Charles admitted the impeachment, and Sergt. Griffiths said that had he not done so the police were prepared to prove that between June 30 and Aug. 20 three 18 gallon barrels of beer and 21 gallons of whisky had gone to the domicile of Kearns, but there wasn't much of the stuff m evidence when the raid was ' made. Lawyer Ongley said that it was a sort of club affair, one man getting a barrel one time, and another man ditto later on, and so on. There was no sale, but he admitted it was illegal. However, the liquor was always stowed at Kearns' ; he was the custodian of the club. Magistrate Keddel described the sly grog business as a nefarious one, and from what he could make out it didn't appear to be a club of four or five persons. He couldn't dismiss from his mind the suspicions from time to time aroused by the reports of the officials pointing to sly grog selline; by the defendant. There were many reasons that led him to believe that he did so. Then the ibeak dropped heavily, on Kearns by fining him £50 and costs. A peculiar thing about the raid on his place was that the police could only find one glass ; if he were doing such a fine private hotel business as is suggested, one would think that more than one drinking vessel would be m use, but probably teacups, or lobster tins or something of that sort were requisitioned. There is a tendency on the part of beaks all over the colony to tramp heavily on the financial corns of illicit swanky dealers. They are piling it on thick with a vengeance, but the game is never likely to be stamped out. The case of that railway servant, who was fined £50 at Invercargiil, whither he went on a holiday to see his wife, may seem hard. He had sold one nip out of a bottle m the street, but it now transpires that he carried a glass round with him, and that looks bad. He ran a sort of pocket hotel. In his case the beak gave him two months m which to find the half century. . -