COMMISSION ON LICENSING

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24572, 22 May 1945, Page 4

COMMISSION ON LICENSING

Analyst Gives Evidence

CONTAMINATED LIQUOR

(P.A.) May 21. Legislative amendments to tighten control on certain aspects of the liquor trade were suggested by the Government Analyst, Kenneth m. Griffin, in evidence before the Royal Commission on Licensing. He wla njs submissions were made on his, own experience and were not to be taken as the official view of his department. Referring to the sampling and labelling of liquor, the witness said there were difficulties under the Licensing Act in inspectors taking samples as purchases, and he s, if* gested that the act be amended. He said the, illicit spirit trade in Auckland flourished by using spirit bottles with the original labels intact, and high premiums—up to 2s 6d—were paid for such empty bottles. “The refilling of beer bottles is an extreme case, and occurred some years ago, but a microscopic examination in a recent complaint regarding draught beer purchased in Auckland left littie doubt that some person had collected dregs and washings of‘beer and sold it as draught beer,” the witness continued. .. „ He recommended that the question of the printing, use, and custody ox labels for spirits should be considered in case any shortage of spirits in future should lead to a recurrence of conditions in Auckland m 1942-44, when lapels were stolen from spirit merchants, and all varieties were illegally printed. Lack of Power In January, 1944, a sample of gm was submitted to the witness from the United States Surgeon Service Command. It had obviously been bottled in a dirty bottle, and the label read: “Bottled in bond, under supervision of H.M. Customs.” It was found that customs officers supervised the bottling operation for revenue purposes oply, and had. no power over the sanitary side. Since the gin was bottled after importation, that difficulty could be met by requiring a wholesale licensee to notify a local authority. Inspector whenever it was intended to bottle liquor in any place other than a licensed place of business. The same lack of power of customs officers occurred in the manufacture of hop beer under a customs licence. >‘Hon beer which X have certified as unfit for human consumption has been manufactured under customs licence in Auckland,” continued the witness. The. manufacturers of hop beer had for some time been inclined to give,, their products many fancy names, With the development of the night club trade two-licensed manufacturers commenced to' bottle an imitation beer exclusively • for the night club trade. It was bottled in reputed quart bottles and labelled as lager and draught ale, in very close resemblance to standard liquors, and sold for slightly more than similar liquors. In addition to any saving In the cost of manufacture over normal liquor, the manufacturer also saved duty of 6d a bottle. , In recent years a number of cases of use of dirty bottles had come to the witness’s notice. He urged that serious consideration be given to regulations for bottle-washing, and that a uniform inspection system be drawn up for local authorities. “Foreign Matters in Beer” In answer w Mr J. D. Willis, counsel assisting the commission, the witness said that the beer which he had analysed, and found to be dregs, had been received from the Health Department, which had got it from a : com-* plainant in March, 1944. The complainant had purchased a gallon of draught beer from the Waveriey Hotel, Auckland. “The beer contained numerous foreign matters and was diluted," said the witness. To Mr R. Hardie Boys (for the New Zealand Alliance), the witness said no action had been taken against the hotel, A sample of beer taken from the hotel a month later was found to be correct. The bottle of gin was obviously dirty, and contained a piece of straw an inch and a half long, said the witness. The sample of hop.bger found unfit for human consumption came from a night club. The witness produced the bottle he had mentioned. He had received it from the police in February, 1944. There had been small flies in the bottle’s contents, Mr Hardie Boys: Have there been cases of poisoning resulting -from bottles containing beer, having previously been used to contain such materials as weedkiller and sheep dip?— Yes. One case was brought to my notice about the beginning of this year. Counsel: Was, it sold through slygrogging or normal trade channels? — Through normal channels. The matter was investigated by the police, the witness said, and it'was found to be Auckland beer. Answering Mr P. B. Cooke, for the New Zealand licensed trade, the witness said there was still illicit liquor being sold in New Zealand, even although the bulk of Allied servicemen had gone. A ■ There was a great deal of trouble with dirty bottles in other trades, the milk and soft drink industries bejng instances. “I have had a bottle of cordial handed to me containing cockroaches’ eggs hanging on the inside of the bottle neck,” said the witness. He thought it was already an offence to use beer bottles for sheep dip and similar dangerous materials. If it were not. then it should be so.

/ The cross-examination was proceeding when the commission adjourned.