OUR POLICE COURTS AND NO DRUNKARDS: WHO SUPPLIES THE INFORMATION?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14355, 27 October 1908, Page 2

OUR POLICE COURTS AND NO DRUNKARDS: WHO SUPPLIES THE INFORMATION?

Sik,—ln your issue of last Monday a local stated that " no. arrests were made the previous Saturday and Sunday." yet in the court on Monday morning a first offender was reported to be convicted and fined for drunkenness. Last Saturday night, at a quarter, past 10 o'clock, in company with a friend, I walked from Rattray street lo Manor place along Princes street, and saw at least a dozen young men very much under ithc influence of liquor. In one placo there wero three together, and one was ko bad that lie had to hang on to •a verandah post. I have since seen in tho ■press similar statements of no cases of drunkenness, hut yesterday a, man helplessly drunk was being helped along Manse street past Hcpkiim's corner, between two men, both holding him. He could he, and was, seen by others, and he might have beon seen by a constable, as therewas one near l Bro\yn, Ewing's corner, and it was early; in;the afternoon. But, Sir, cases of drunkenness arid the, convicting of so many first offenders, many mere lads, is awful' to witness. And what about those poor women and children, and fathers and -mothers, who are constantly applying for prohibition orders a.'gainst husbands and fathers and against their boys? Let mo give a- typical case of .what is often to be seen in our Police Court: On Wednesday last' a. clean, respectable-looking woman, with her 1 a'tidy boy ahout 11 years and a girl about 16 years' old;-, applied for a prohibition order against- 1 her husband and their father. The wife,gave evidence that through constant drinking his health was being the homo: was neglected and kept short, of money to buy proper food for the family,.-'that-rthovhoiiso"-. was being disturbed during -the -nighty and that tho father turned 'into bed with his boy with his clothes on. The poor boy and the girl (who wept while giving evidence against her father) substantiated what their mother had said.'aiid in a. severo cross-examination their evidence could not be shaken. Tho most degrading' part of the case, in my opinion, w'-as when the husband and 'father and his witnesses (two >young men apparently of his own 6tamj() came forwarcl to try and convince the Bench that his wife, son, and daughter wero liars, whilo himself and these .'two men. whom ho acknowledged were -drinking with him, were truthful. • I was pleased to notice that the Bonoh could fee tho awfulnees of the case, and in a. moment after the man's solicitor mentioned "that is tho case,, your Worship," pronounced "Order granted for 12 months."- /Sir, I consider, in the interests of morality a nd for the'good of crushed mothers and wronged children, such cases as this, with their principal actors, should be thoroughly exposed to public gaze.-I am, et «-, •' Reform. Duncuin, October 23. •' [The paragraph to which our correspondent refers stated that " between 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon and late on Sunday evening the police had no occasion to mako a singlo a.rxest for drunkenness." The person who was . convicted on Monday was °n Saturday morhing.-ED.