ROUGH ON NELSON.

NZ Truth, Issue 570, 20 May 1916, Page 8

ROUGH ON NELSON.

Dear "Truth," — In the drowsy little hamlet known as Nelson, otherwise "Sleepy Hollow," four policemen and a sergeant are kept. The only outward and visible sign of activity; on the part or these officials is, that they catch and run m drunks. On the staff they have an agile young foreigner and a rawlimbed lad from up Shlels way. These two particularly are fast becoming expert "drunk-hunters." They'll scour they town and its environs, peer into the parks (a man ia hardly safe to sit down and rest), while a tinkle on the 'phone from some nervous resident who saw a man slip on a banana peel brings an instant response. No effort is made to curtail drinking. That would not do. There la practically no supervision of licensed houses. The back door business on Sundays is both brisk and profitable, and the man who fails to get h'ls fill m Nelson on a Sunday — well, he must be a "melon." Street traffic, which badly needs regulating, is totally ignored. Another peculiar feature whic,h strikes the visitor is this: Two constables are on duty during the night watches. If they have succeeded m running m some poor wretch — man or woman— they leave their beat .. every two hours m order to cheer up? their quarry at the lock-up. This place being quite out of the way, the town m the meantime is totally unprotected — and at the mercy of any thief or shopbreaker who may happen to be about. There is a man m charge at the watchhouse, too, so these little excursions are merely undertaken for the good of the health of these noble officers and for the benefit of the imprisoned drunk. Yes, Nelson has some queer little ways. It is well named ''Sleepy Hollow." — Yours, etc., VISITOR. Nelson. . 5 ;■