PERAMBULATING PUBS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 932, 16 January 1908, Page 22

PERAMBULATING PUBS.

The Sydney correspondent of the New Zealand Herald, writing recently states that in Sydney since the new Liquor Act came into operation, sly grog-selling ■ as increased to an alarming extent, as shown by the recent numerous prosecutions. Not only have s'.y grog shops in the suburbs gained in numoers, but dozens of men and women carry on a trade in ba;k yards and untenanted houses, or even in the public streets and parks. The latter class are said to conduct ‘ peiambu lat’ng nubs. ” The r method, as set for.h by one of the dailies, is o get in a stock of ale on the Saturday, and store it in a building to which they have easy and private access. On the Sunday morning they issue forth look ng for thirsty ones who are willing and able to pay excess.ve prices for liquor. They usually find plentj’ of these, and a very lucrative trade is .he result.

In this manner the sly grog-sellers thrive, and recently the business has increased enormously. It is not exactly that the Sunday selling of liquor has become more prevalent, but, whereas the lower class hotels used to do the trade, it is now done more in private houses, or, as pointed out, in streets or other public places.

A conversat on with some of the constables whose business it is to hunt down these offenders shows that the difficulties in obtaining a prosecution are many. “You see,” said one, “ they get very cunning, and many will not se 1 the liquor they know who their customer is, and we cannot get them without proving the sale-” To prove the sale the police generally employ a man. This man puts on an old suit of c o hes and a thirsty appearance, and, sauntering up to the person suspected of selling the liquor, asks him if there is any chance of a drink. Very often the people are suspicious, and pretend never to have heard of such a thing, or that they have not seen one for six mon hs. When this is the case, the police and their h relings have to look elsewhere. If, however, the illicit dealer is deceived, they buy a bott e, for which they pay with a marked coin. They then seize all the bott’ed evidence they can, and march the offender to the nearest police station, where he is cha ged with selling fermented liquor without holding a license or being the servant of a license holder.

Another person whom the law cannot touch at present, but who is a much greater offender agarnst socie y, is the one who retai s methy ated spirit in small doses about the parks and other public places on Sundays. Many people do not think that methylated spirit is used as an intoxicant, but, since the new Act has made it difficult for the poorer classes to obtain fienuine alcoholic beverages, they

have unfortunately taken to itnoibing’arge quant t’es of it. The eff.c. is terrible, often sending '.hose who take it temporarily mad, or making them dangerous y ill. Few Sundays pass when one or more methylated spiri. poisoning cases are not treated at the pub'ic hospitals, and many persons are locked up at the pol.ee stations on charges of drunkenness through drinking the powerful spirit. When asked how th? latter evil could be combated,, one of .h? e.:d'r.g inspectors in the metropo tan div sion sta.ed that either something further would have to be introduced into the spirit o make it undrinkable, now that the methylat.on had failed, or the sale would have to be controlled.