THE KING COUNTRY WHISKY RAIDS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 11021, 11 September 1897, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY WHISKY RAIDS.

HOW IT WAS EFFECTED. A correspondent at Otorohanga writes L to the .New Zealand Herald :—" As startling and alarming incidents are uncommon occurrences in the dull monotony of a country life, the doings of this morning (Septouiber Gth) here, coming as they do under this category, I think are worthy of bi-ing recorded. About 7 a.m. the boarders in the only accommodation house here were rudely, and in some instances certainly most unceremoniously aroused from their slumbers to find the house was for the time beiug in the hands of the minions of the law. To judgo from the experiences of some, whose privacy was so ruthlenfly intruded upon, tho legal aspect of the actions of some of the members of tho * No terror to burglars brigade 1 is deserving of. severe criticism. Bedroom doors were flung wide open, to admit excited looking youths, whose general enquiry was, ' Have you got any whisky here?' The boarders were all similarly treated, no respect of persons or even sex being considered necessary. Not even the privacy ot female sleeping apartments being held sacred. The room of a young lady, who is sufferiug from pleurisy, and is in a weak and nervous condition, was thus assailed, and a bottle containing port wine and quinine, prescribed for her by the doctor, being at once seized and carried off by a ' zealous' myrmidon. Not content with this first outrage, the sick lady's room was once more entered, and had it not been for the protestations of the landlady in tho name of, humanity, there is not knowing how much further the invalid would have been inconvenienced by the forcible entry of strange, and by no means prepossessing men to her sick room. I am glad, however, to be able to state, that as soon as this ' performance of duty' or ' outrage' (term it what you will), was reported to the local constable (Stauyor), he caused the bottle containing the invalid's modiciue to bo at once returned to her. The room* of the other female lodgers were also bisnilarly dealt with. Tho landlord meanwhile had been entertained by tho reading to him of what purported to be a search warrant, and was then commanded to throw open the bar and hand over his books, papors, and invoices connected with his business, for inspection. This he did, with the result that several books, papers, and invoices have been appropriated by the police. The whole affair, as may be imagined, caused quite an excitement in the settlement, and as several native houses were, I understand, similarly raided, the outcome will bo anxiously awaited. Had it not been for the grossly improper troatment displayed in entering the sick room of a lady, and the somewhac questionable appropriation of the books, invoices, etc., of the landlord, the aspect of tha affair would be simply ludicrous To think for a moment that a posae of eight or ten men could walk into a village liko this at seven o'clock in the morning, full of natives who are always 'up with ths sun,' and expect to make a find of contraband, is paying but a poor compliment to the up-to-dato Kiugite Maori and shows a decided lack of acumen in tho 'Dr Jim* who planned the raid, and I will venture to predict that tin result will show that it has not paid exoon'sea, let alono the posiibility of difficult questions having to be answered. I understand 15 more of the brigade hive gono on to To Kniti. The result of their researches there, however, I havo not beard. Ihit illicit trading has existed here, and does, none can deny, although never to' the extent thatsomeof the prohibition scribes, whose bilious effusions occationally darken your columns, would have you believe. That tho remedy for the evil will over be found in '* fiascos " such as haß taken place today, is folly to imagine. The people who require to be brought to book hero will not be caught in that way. It ia they who, under cover of darkness, flit about the settlement with . bottles and glasses, and do nightly a good trade, whose tails require salting. And it is pot to be expected thqt one constable, single-handed, let him be never so smart, can cope successfully with the evil as it now exists. Our representative • of the force heie deserves the greatest credit for his untiring vigilance and continued efforts to suppress the traffic, but what chance has one man among so many ? It ia needless to siy hid every movement is carefully watched and noted by those illicit traders and their spies, who are ' legion.' "