PROHIBITION IN WAIHI.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2710, 14 January 1910, Page 3

PROHIBITION IN WAIHI.

CONFISCATED DIQUOl!

Waihi, the township 'which has grown round the great gold mine, is now a prohibition district, and naturally there is. much work for the police in that town at the present moment. Recently, the Thames police journeyed to Waihi, and, arriving at three o’clock in the morning, made an extraordinarily rich haul, and seized several waggon-loads of alcoholic liquor. The fines imposed on the sly grog sellers totalled several hundreds of pounds. The whole of the liquor seized was taken to Thames and there sold by auction. iA Thames man who witnessed this proceeding, -mentions that many of the buyers staggered away with cheap drink, and showed by their condition that they were glad that such a glorious opportunity should be given them by the authorities. It seems reasonable that when liquor is taken from unlicensed premises it should be destroyed. By the time the sly grogseller has paid his fine (varying from £■lo to £SO), the State would appear to have been paid sufficiently for the breaches of the licensing law. If it is immoral for a Waihi man drink it is surely immoral for police to sell cheap liquor to Thames' citizens.