INVERGARGILL.

NZ Truth, Issue 299, 18 March 1911, Page 5

INVERGARGILL.

DRY AND DRUNKEN DISTRICT Cabby And His Fare. The Astounding " Seuthland Times." Invercargill is the place which once carried No-license . as an experiment. Then discovered that it was a. joke, and the cheapest manner to get beer, kept the joke going, and manages to be regarded as one of the most drunken holes m New Zealand. Invercargill is the district that perfected the locker system. It is the place where the visitor has to dlink anli drink hard, or run the risk' of being regarded as AN UNSOCIABLE DOG. Likewise, it is the town where the Mayor and prominent citizens turned out m great force and gave that over-boomed English journalist and author, Foster Fraser, "the freedom of the city," took him, per motor, for long, lovely drives, and lived to curse .the day that it extended such hospitality to the globe-trotter' because he dared to tell the truth about the drunken men he saw staggering about the town, the enormous drinking capacity of everybody m general, and the prevalence of hypocrisy and lawlessness generally. "Truth" doesn't want to say any-" thing uncommonly unpleasant of Invercargill, because the latest grog-in-no-license figures prove Invercargill to be what no No-license lunatics will dare to say it is not. Incidentally, however, while on, such a sober subject, "Truths must remark that for a No-license town, Invercargill is the liveliest,, lush'iest sort of distrist that at present gets its liquor m bulk, mainly m two-gallon jars. Moreover, one of 'the local papers has GIVEN THE SHOW AWAY by printing the remarks of Magistrate Cruickshanks, who recently convicted a cabby, and his fare of drunkenness. The facts are that the cabby m question got so horribly drunk that he drove his vehicle on to the railway line and had a smash up, and of such an extent was the smash-up that a railway gang had to be brought out to remove the debris. Furthermore, it seems" that the cabby and his fare had THE USUAL DRUNK'S LUCK, ' toecause, lied a train come alone (fortunately one did not) it is quite possible there would have been a serious accident. Both cabman anil fare were fined for drunkenness, and it is not improbable that more will be heard of the matter, as the Bailway Department threaten to prosecute the cabman for trespassing on the railway line. Anyhow, according to the "Southland Times," the Magistrate, m. .addressing the . cabby, Geerge Morris, by name," while the K'fare" answered to Neil Sellars, said that most of the drunkenness m Invercargill was brought aibout by cabmen taking their cabs out to the depots, and if cabmen would only refuse to take passengers there, t<hey would perform an action of service to the community. At the same sittings of the Magistrate's Court, two first-offending drunks were fined, which is, at 'anyrate, quite up to daily average m licensed Wellington. While we are on Invercargill, and having had occasion to quote the "Southland Times,'-' which is a Nolicense organ, "Truth" wishes to remark, that lor a sober, staid, respectable print m such an UNSOBER AND DISREPUTABLE DISTRICT, . $he "Times" on a recent date, brought out a decidedly unsteady issue. Some kind humorist . has forwarded "Truth" a marked copy of the "Times" of March 9, and, having perused the issue, "Truth" thinks the kindest thing that can be said is that everybody concerned was m a devil of a hurry to rush the "Times"- into circulation. For instance, we find that while most newspapers were aware of the fact that Mr Justice Denniston re. cently presided over the criminal sessions at Hokitikai, the only criminal business being the RE-TRIAL OF A CHINAMAN on a charge of perjury, the "Southland Times" electrified everybody by printing the facts under tfoe heading : SUPREME COURT. By Telegraph — Press Association; London, March 8. ; One bloomer would readily be forgiven, but we come across a paragraph descriptive of the drought, which does, unhappily m the real sense, affect Invercargill.. ; This par starts off v The continued spell of dry weather :"before Mr G d Cruickshatik, S.M., and winds up by giving it a judicial touch by some reference to THE JUDICIOUS FEEDING OF COWS on a mixture of oats and turnips. How Mr Crucikshank, S.M., can 'be held responsible is more than even "Truth" can tell. More,, however, remains. One "J.G.D.," declared to be an amusing person, is set forth as having revisited New Zealand after 25 years' absence, and given m an Australian paper some account of New Zealand. The account reads very well till it comes to "He noted with pleasure the great change m the appearance of New- Zealand since net also a chemist, who refused to sell ing New Zealand that could conveniently get away, and it began to be feared that soon there would be' nobody left to Pay the taxes." "Truth," m disgust, gives it up. Incidentally, ,' it behoves everybody to vote License and to keep the cradle full— and join the Territorials."