'OLY ASHBURTON.

NZ Truth, Issue 66, 22 September 1906, Page 6

'OLY ASHBURTON.

The police at holy Ashburton, where nobody is supposed to "touch it," but where half the .population does drink, have really little to do these days but to ; rush "to the station whenever an incoming train whistles, and watch for arrivals of swanky, packed m all sorts of conceivable ways, m order to see if it's properly labelled. And it does come tn large quantities ; it's one of "Ashburton's chief importations. At first it used to be imported secretly, and kerosene tins were' viewed with wild suspicion, but these days it dumps itself down on. the platforfti- with a sigh oi' relief, passes the, inspecting, officers, and is carted away!,--'- There are any number, 'of the purity push who deplore .this indiscriminate •-.buying'- qf liquors from- abroad, arid who; lift up their croaking voices against the iniquitous sly. grogg^ries that are said to si-bound _ like bees .m a hive." One of .these individuals is Mayor Davis, whb expresses a ten foot desire .to see boarding houses .licensed m order that the police - could plant; their big hoofs inside the door at any time to see if anyone: was trying, to balance a glass: on his nose, or pick it up full with liis, teeth. He Complained the other night that the, ex-pubs were licensed and were * under supervision, but now that they were classed as boarding-houses that supervision had fallen into desuetude, or into the river, or somewhere, and he was satisfied that, something more than meals could be procured there, at a price. Other lodging houses boasted the same sort of menu, and it was a pity they, weren't licensed. Davis said he would like to have /secret swanky swigging put down, but it would take a great deal more than the puny efforts of a Davis to do 'that. The police know where grog can be procured, but their efforts are spasmodic owing to the difficulty of procuring informers to supply evidence good enough for a conviction. And informers are ."off" m Ashburton just now. ._