BEER AND CRAYFISH.

Observer, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 October 1917, Page 3

BEER AND CRAYFISH.

Train and Ferry

A PASSENGER on a public vehicle—train, boat, or tram, pays for his passage and expects to be undisturbed and not annoyed. There are men in N.Z. who for some unexplained psychological reasons Avhile away the journey by gettimg drunk. These people have been common ever since N.Z. first pos-

sessed a train. The lavatories axe frequently made into temporary bars by the "decent chap" with the bottle of whisky. It is not uncommon to see scuffles and quarrels between drunken men. Authority (as shown in a case, before Mr Frazer, S.M.) is flouted, train-men assaulted and so on. There is no police patrol on a train, no place for the detention of a man who annoys the whole of the passengers and seldom done to put down the "amiable indiscretion" of a gibbering idiot who becomes a v; c nuisance. There is reason to stiggest that a passenger train might become a "no-license" area. It doesn't matter to the public if a man drinks himself to death, but it matters a great deal that he should cause riots, assaults and discomfort.

Apropos of this form of unpleasantness, the prevailing Maori soldier will have to be attended to. He is often young, obstreperous, undisciplined and unclean. A ferry steamer is usually used by decent people, owned by a decent company and commanded by excellent snen. On Saturday night a mob of Maori recruits invaded a ferry boat. Some of them were almost sober, one was extremely drunk (there were several stages represented.) They smelt unclean, they carried crayfish which they tore to pieces and ate with disgusting noise. The painfully drunk Maori collapsed. He was later physically ill copiously, disgustingly, and in the presence of ladies.

It is no concern of the commentor that a Maori gets drunk, whether he eats crayfish, or whether he vomits, but he emphatically should not be allowed to do any of these things in public. The subsequent struggle, fight, and obscene and filthy language disgusted all who heard and saw it. It is, one understands, not a fair thing to criticise the military administration, therefore, statements of facts about these disgusting exhibitions by young Maoris are our only solace. They become repeatedly drunk, offensive to sight and smell, and rude in speech. The vicinity of Narrow Neck Camp is now impossible for decent pakehas and one doesn't know that the Maoris own Devonport. One supposes that the guard does not let liquor pass into the camp— perhaps these staggering Hones get it only part of the way. Perhaps the guard is a Maori guard.

At the end of Queen Street, the Maori soldier may be seen at the height of his offensiyeness, odourous, unpleasant, undisciplined. He fills restaurants side by side with clean people and may be seen with his hands full of fish gobbling loudly. These men were deeply offended when Capetown police drove them off the sidewalks. The softer Aucklander only quietly resents this phase of offence without doing anything about it. It is here sugested that if the authorities pei' : mit constant drunkenness in Maori soldiers, they should fmd a nice quiet place where they can become odorous, ravenous, obscene and fightable by themselves. The question of putting hotels and restaurants used by pakehas "out of bounds" is, of course, for the authorities, but if Hone isn't cleaner and nicer, even his own officers may notice that he's one of Auckland's worst nuisances.