THE DUTY OF THE POLICE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 943, 2 April 1908, Page 21

THE DUTY OF THE POLICE.

The ’ natural protest that arose from the Auckland Licensed Victuallers’ Associap tion’Piti 'regard to Sub-Inspector Gordon’s report oh women drinking in hotels, has been turned and twisted-by the prohibition party, and made to appear as an attempt‘tv Interfere with the police in the diseiiatrgjb of their duties. The respectful'letter of protest, addressed to the Minister of Justice (the Hori. ' J. McGowan)' simply pointed out that the report, especially in the incorrect form that it was first published, had pointed to no irregularity, had been unproven, and had been presented without notice to the Trade. We have no hesitation in affirming that the licensees of Auckland, and we may add, the Dominion, have in the main, always shown an ardent desire to help the police in the matter of police duty as pertaining to the supervision and good conduct of the hotels. We know that it has always been a practice, and in the interests of fair play a good practice too, to lodge in the Licensing Court some days before any licensing meeting, any report that affects a house or its licensee. For some reason or reasons, this report of sub-inspector Gordon’s does not appear to have gone through this usual process. . Though sweeping in its condemnation, it is brought forward at the meeting, vague and unproven, and in the notable absence of detail, beyond figures which are allowed to go forth in print in an alarmingly incorrect manner. If the police sense of outy had for some reason, hitherto undisclosed, risen suddenly to such a high nitch that they must needs count the number of women entering ’hotels, then is is more than a pity that that sense of duty did not prevent an incorrect report, affecting a large number of people, being published in the press of the Dominion. The report first appeared in the evening paper, and could have, by only a small amount of experienced energy, been prevented from going any further. The common instinct of fair play/inbred in most people', would have prompted this prevention. In connection with this incorrect report, one fact stands out most strikingly, and. that is that at not one of the meetings of no-license leaguers, or prohibitionists, where the subject matter of the report has been discuss-

Z ed, has' the slightest mention been made regarding the inaccurate figures as first published. The false position has been seized upon, and mouthed about from one centre to another, with an appreciation that does little credit to these self-suffi-cient parties. The Hon. James McGowan has fenced the question of preventing a repetition of such vague, unproven reports being sprung upon the licensed trade, and in his reply to the secretary of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, attempts to lead one to believe - that the Association wishes to prevent police re- ' ports being presented, whereas the Association wishes nothing of the sort. Their letter of protest respectfully points to one report and particularly to the manner of its presentation. In this they were quite right. Does the hon. gentleman mean to imply that a body of men as composed by the Licensed Victuallers, have n oright to a hearing, or a right to establish a defence? We sincerely hope that we have not arrived at a stage where it is permissable to allow, vague, unproven reports to become as established evidence without allowing the other side some chance of defence. As for the report itself, we quite fail to see from any point of view, its necessity. If the police object to women drinking in hotels, we feel sure that a notification to that effect would have met with ready compliance by any licensee. It is admitted that licensees are only too glad to observe any interpretation of the licensing laws that the police authorities choose to give, and are ever ready to obey all insetructions issued. In the fact of the report the ques.ion of women’s rights in the matter of refreshments in licensed premises need not be discussed. Numbers of women enter hotels daily for various reasons than that of obtaining liquor, but as the report stated that the number of women mentioned were seen drinking in the hotels well we suppose we will have to let it go at that. But we remain unconvinced.