PURGE-SHIFTING RECORDS.

NZ Truth, Issue 683, 20 July 1918, Page 6

PURGE-SHIFTING RECORDS.

Thus "Pewter" (ArroWtown, Otago): In reading the report of the Newtown sly-grog selling cases ("Truth," 18/7/18), I was surprised to notice that Magistrate Frazer and Lawyer O'Leary questioned the veracity of Constable Hunt's statement that he had consumed fourteen medium beers within three hours "without turning a hair." Well, Mr. Editor, I reside m an Otago goldfields township of 800 inhabitants, and It Magistrate Frazer will give me one .hour's notice I wil.l undertake to produce twelve men, each of ' whom will drink fourteen medium glasses of beer within one hour, and I will guarantee that every man will be able to pass any test In regard to sobriety that the S.M. may care to impose. My nominees are willing to undergo the ordeal without fee or reward, the only proviso being that his Worship must supply the beer. The ignorance that Is constantly being displayed In our courts by the majority of our magistrates and a few— very few — of our lawyers m regard to the beer-drink-ing oapacity of New Zealanders (wowsers, of course, excepted) is astonishing. Quite recently In Dunedln a magistrate appeared to be astounded when a witness stated that he (the witness, I must be careful to state) was perfectly sober after drinking five "pony shandies." I will admit that m putting away fourteen "mediums" within three hours Constable Hunt registered a very fair performance, but If it is his best record I would not care to back him, even m the novice , olaas should he at any time be a competitor m a purge -shifting competition An our little town.