To Solve Fiji's

'More Police Work' To Solve Fiji's Drink Problem

More activity by the police, and adequate fines in the courts, would soon stamp out the cur rent wave of drunkenness in Suva, the managing director of Northern Hotels, Fiji, Mr. David Ragg, said in July.

MR. RAGG was commenting on reports and correspondence on the problem published in The Fiji Times (and reported in this issue of PIM, p. 52). Drunkenness is a con troversial matter in Fiji at present.

In a letter to PIM Mr. Ragg, whose company operates a chain of Fiji hotels, said he couldn’t see why licensees or barmen should be selected as culprits.

“Of course the barman is told he cannot and must not serve a drunken person,” said Mr. Ragg. “But any thing he does to carry this instruction into effect is completely nullified when friends can, and do, buy drink and pass it along anyway.

“The hotel licensee is also not so negligent or unconscious of his duties or of the problem. Most licensees do regularly police their bars and employ men solely for this purpose.

“In fairness to hotel licensees, it should be stated that intoxicating liquor can be and is easily obtainable from the many off-licences where liquor may be purchased hours before the bars are opened.

“The immediate problem can, I believe, be overcome by co-operative effort, particularly by the enforce ment of the law, but this requires better police supervision and support than have been available in the past.

“If prowl cars or black marias cruised the areas at critical periods and were available to promptly re move offenders to the cells and adequate fines were imposed on convicted offenders be they drunks or licensees—hotel and off-licence holders—or their servants—the cur rent wave of drunkenness would soon, in my opinion, die out.

“The majority of the Fijian drinkers behave themselves and it is only a very small percentage that is causing all the trouble. It is this conspicuous and objectionable minority which requires drastic and understanding from all concerned, not the whole race.”