THE DRUG SCARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1926, Page 16

THE DRUG SCARE.

STORY DISCREDITED.

LITTLE TRAFFIC IN AUCKLAND

SMUGGLING OF NARCOTICS

PROBABLE,

"Simply a lot nf tosh," remarked the Rev. Jasper Calder; and "Nothing of the kind has come to my notice," remarked a magistrate, when a "Star"' representative made a round of inquiries this morning in order to ascertain if there was any foundation locally for the assertions made by Colonel C. Knott. chief secretary of the Salvation Army, at Christehuch, that there existed in New Zealand secret or?anisations, composed of youths of hoth soxes, whose aim is to distribute drugs for immoral purposes. "I don't suppose there is anyone in this city more closely in touch with what one might call the 'underworld' than myself, and I can say emphatically that nothing has come under my notice to lead mc to believe that there is any truth whatever in what this Salvation Army colonel asserts," said the Rev. Jasper Calder, Anglican city missioner. "Tosh —all tosh! Here, Sister Pat, what do you think about it?" asked the missioner, summoning his fellow worker.

"I don't think there's any truth in it at all," replied Sister Pat. "'ln two and a-half years I've had to deal with only three cases where drugs were concerned, yet I have been interested in hundreds of cases where girls and women had gone astray."

"And in six years I haven't had more than ten cases at the outside," said Mr. Calder. "This looks to mc like exaggeration. Possibly the colonel has been led to make this statement without any firsthand knowledge. He had been in the country only four months. Of course, we all known that when a girl has been j betrayed by some scoundrel, and then appeals for assistance, she may concoct * etory that she has been doped or drugged by a' man. However, when she knows that she will be helped, she usually admits, when cross-examined, that her story about the dope was trumped up for the occasion, and that when she fell she had taken liquor of some sort —wine or a cocktail. And I'm pretty sure that if any secret society existed I'd have some knowledge of it. You can dismiss that "ac punk! There are a few drug addicts in this town, but they are all known, poor souls, and they are harming nobody but themselves." • No First-hand Knowledge. i Staff Captain Davies. Salvation Army Police Court and gaol Samaritan worker, admitted that he could not speak on the subject at first hand. He dealt with hundreds of cases among men, but could not mention one where young men had fallen through drugs. At the same time he "had reason to believe" that there was some truth in the allegations made liy the chief secretary. Major Annie Gordon, Samaritan worker among women and girls, was also sought, but she was absent from her office on social work. A city chemist said that he did not Temember ever having lad a request for narcotics from young people. Twenty years ago, before the regulations with regard to drugs were tightened up. the position was somewhat different. In those days drugs were aeked for more frequently. To-day, chemists never supplied drugs unless a doctor's prescription was produced. Cocaine From Suva. "I know that there is a -certain amount of smuggling going on in connection with the Auckland-Suva trade, and a small quantity of cocaine finds its way into New Zealand through that channel," said a Queen Street chemist. "Do you think that the smugglers have established a secret distribution depot?" the chemist was asked.

"No, Ido not. I don't think they are clever enough for that. They are only out to get a few shillings easily. I know the class of men who carry on this sort of thing. Not long ago one of them came into the shop and offered mc 32 small bottles of cocaine—about eight ounces. Needless to say, I sent him about his business pretty quickly. "I'll admit that there are several young people in Auckland who are addicted to drugs, but their numbers are small. Speaking offhand, I suppose we have about ten inquiries in a month —not more. Some of those who want drugs appear to have pulled themselves together lately, as they have not been bothering us. We have to be very careful, as we can give drugs only when a doctor's prescription is tendered. I have known drug addicts to be very cunning. They will proffer faked prescriptions, some of which are rather difficult to detect. Others ask for eyedrops, in order to get a solution containing a small quantity of cocaine. Others say they want a drug so that they may extract a tooth. They will go 'so far as to display the instrument with which they are going to perform the operation. Of course, such inquiries get no satisfaction here." Pharmacy Board has no Evidence. Said Mr. Edward Smith, chemist, of Karangahape Road, on looking over the colonel's published remarks: '"As a member of the Pharmacy Board of New Zealand, I can say that there appears to be no foundation in fact for what has been eaid in Christehurch. Colonel Knott has been in New Zealand for only four months, yet he has apparently discovered more in" that time than the Pharmacy Board has discovered in four years. The whole thing appears to mc to be quite unreasonable. Our board learned through the newspapers that narcotics were having a fairly wide sale in London some i time ago. Illicit traders were selling a' mixture of boracic acid and cocaine,' which was termed ' snow.' I don't know if the position is as bad to-day as it was | then. Next, we heard that the trade i had been introduced in Australia, but, I frankly, I don't think it is serious there, i As far as New Zealand is concerned we \ ha-ve no evidence of anything like that! suggested by the Salvation Army colonel, j What Drug Would he Used? i "It seems unreasonable to suggest that a man would use a drug, when liquor would produce the same effect," continued Mr. Smith. "As for doped chocolates or cigarettes —well, what are they doped with? There may be such things on the market, but no registered chemist would handle them. Personally, I have no inquiries for drugs by young people. There are the old drug addicts, who are well known to everyone, but they are not the type that would be associated with a vicious secret organisation flucli as that suggested. They are isolated eases, and I thoroughly believe that only a very email percentage of New Zcalandcre have formed the habit."