WHO IS MOST TO BALME.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1392, 25 April 1884, Page 2

WHO IS MOST TO BALME.

(To the Editor, In angahua Times.) Sir. — We hear a good deal about rowdyism, drunkemiess, abusive and threatening language, disturbers of the peace etc., and at the same time of hard-working men being ro bed in mysterious ways of their hard earnings. We have sufficient grounds to believe that such is the case, but I never witness any of those tilings. as such seldom or ever occur iv legitimate business hours. I know many men who are neither inclined to drunkenness nor rowdyism, who somt times get inveigled into disgrace through the despicable inducements held out by some houses *hat are kept open all hours of the night for unworthy purposes And until such houses are either closed or compelled to transact business iv legitimate hours, the unwary will always be liable to be entrapped in their alluring meshes. When laws are enacted for the benefit and welfare of society, such laws should be respected, and strictly enforced, and any infringement thereof promptly punished. The best clause in our "Licensing Act" is, that all public houses shall be closed at a certain hour, 10, 11, or 12 o'clock, as the case may be, and that drink be not procurable after that hour, or no gambling permitted at any time, and those clauses should be strictly enforced, although there are other clauses in the Act which never will, or can be respected by any intelligent community. Now in the case of Brown, who was accused nf an attempted assault and given in charge by his accuser, tried, convicted, and sentenced to one month's imprisonment, for what, we don't know, as there was no evidence but tha of the accuser, although, I am informed, there was 5 or-6 other persons present at the time the alleged attempt took place, which was about ? o'clock in the morning. If.. Brown threatened to assault his accuser with a knife, and was given in charge immediately on the spot, why was the knife not produced in Court ? and how is it the house where thealleged assault took place was open at 2 o'clock in the morning, and 5 or 6 people drinking there 1 and also, how is it the majority of licensed houses are virtually open all night, and drink procurable at all hours ? This is the polluted fountain-head from whence arise the so many police prosecutions, and until this corrupt resort is cutoff there is very little chance of any improvement in the conduct of those who are in the, habit of frequenting such houses, at such unseemly hours. If the conductors of those houses (or rather) man-traps, were punished instead, or equally as severe, as some of their deluded patrons who figure frequently, in the police courts, justice would be more equally dispensed, for I consider the tempters are equally as much, if not more blameable, than those who are foolish enough to permit themselves to be tempted. lam, etc., Pair Play. Reefton, April 18th, 1884.