GOOD TEMPLARS AND THE POLICE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1476, 6 March 1886, Page 1

GOOD TEMPLARS AND THE POLICE.

A deputation 'from the New Zealand Temperance Alliance waited'Hpos--the Premier at Wellington, on Wednesday, in respect to the way in which the Licensing Act is administered by the police and magistrates. Sir William Fox said that the deputation had not come to ask for any alteration in the Licensing Act, which contained strong provisions for the suppression of the evils of the liquor traffic if they were only enforced. The complaint was that the clear and definite provisions were not enforced, bnt allowed to lie absolutely dead. He called attention to the fact that the police and magistrates failed to institute proceedings under the Act either for the prevention ot offences or for the punishment of offenders when offences done to their knowledge. It was notorious that in Wellington, and he believed all over New Zealand, a large proportion of the publichouses carried on a drink trade on Sundays nearly as freely as every other day of the week, and he further mentioned instances where offenders were brought before magistrates, and were let off without any reason. He also referred to the illicit sale of liquor in brothels, which the magistrates and police were perfectly aware of, and took no action about. Several speakers said that this result was partially due to a division of authority between the police and the detective office, which tended to prevent the administration of justice. It is stated that two constables who had broken into a hotel, and found a large number of ram drinking and gambiug on a Sunday morning were censured for the manner in which they went into hotels, and the matter was suppressed. Mr Stout read the document referred to, and said that the constables were not censured, but. the endorsement on the report was simply for illegally entering the house. His opinion was that it would have been better tnd !lie cases been brought into Cour 1 .

Inspectors Brown and Shearman di-mi d any disagreement between the detect'Ve* and the police, and refuted the charts brought against the police. Mr Stunt, having confirmed in many points the propriety of the action of the deputation, Sir William Fox expressed a hoped tfwt it would make the police more active t