"DOCTORED LIQUOR."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1195, 2 August 1911, Page 2

"DOCTORED LIQUOR."

STRONG COMPLAINTS. LEGISLATION PROMISED. According lo a deputation which waited on the Hen. G. Fowlds (Acting-Minister (or Justice) yesterday, there are serious abuses in connection with the sale of colonial wines in tho North Auckland district. Tho deputation represented the New Zealand Alliance, and consisted of Mr. Wesley Sprags (Auckland) and the Rev. J. Dawsou (Wellington), president and secretary respectively of that organisation. Mr. Sprugg said tho wine-selling business in tho'north had got ontire.y out ol hand, and was now one of the most pernicious things in connection with tho sale of liquor in tho Dominion. It was suggested that the liquor was doctored m tho most outrageous manner, and tho result was the demoralisation of those who purchased it-gumdiggors, Maoris, anrt Maori w'omcu-to an extent that ought not to be tolerated in a country like -New Zealand. The whole state of affairs was sad beyond description. Mr. Dawson said the trouble was particularly acute in the Herekino and Mongonui districts. The law was being abused in a verv flagrant manner. It was shown time and again that Austriaiis were using some, vile spirit for fortifying the liquor, which, if not guaranteed to kill, was having that effect, and the effect on both Natives mid Europeans was very serious indeed. Drunkenness was increasing, and in one district last year there wcro eight fires, four of thein in schools, which were ascribed to the same cause. Tho usual results of the liquor business were in evidence-flagrant cases of perjury, for instance, and young fellows going to football matches clubbed together for tho purchase of wine, and the subsequent orgies were described as distressing in the extreme. In one instance a supply was packed to a certain sawmill, very much against tho wish of the manager, and the result was that the mill had to suspend operations for a week whilo the men drank and got over the effects of it. The deputation asked, first, that there should be more police supervision. In many instances the police got tho credit of doing the best they could, in view of the large area they had to bo responsible for, and during the last two years, wherovor they had been able to exercise their authority, they had had a marked effect, but as a whole the force was not able to cope with tho evil. Secondly, they asked that tho Act should be amended so as to provide that winemakers should not be allowed to sell except to licensed persons. At present they practically peddled it round the country in small 'quantities. Thirdly, they asked that steps should be taken immediately to havo the stuff analysed. The Minister, said that to a very large extent the police reports that had coins in boro out the statements made by tho deputation as regarded the .condition of affairs in the north, and, to his mind, clearly indicated the necessity of something being done. It was difficult to provide sufficient police to control such a scattered population, and necessitated tho provision of more police than he thought they would bo able to supply. It seemed to him that before they could do very much, even with an increased polico supervision, they needed to get an amendment of the law. That, he thought, was very urgent, but whether the suggestion that only licensed persons should be sur* plied, was another matter. The law did not deal with adulteration ef wine except when it was sold by persons holding a wine license, or in small quantities, and that was a point .that certainly ought to be provided lor. Even if they allowed the maker to sell, he was certainly of opinion ho should only bo allowed to sell at the place where he manufactured it, and not be allowed to peddle it over a wide district. Also,' they ought to havo legislation against adulteration, so that the maker would only be able to sell nnder the same conditions as those holding licenses were allowed to sell, namely, that it should not contain more than 20 per cent, of proof spirit. He proposed to 'get a Bill drafted .and submit it to his colleagueo for presentation this session, because it was quite clear to him that tho evil was of such magnitude that it needed to be grappled with, and the evidence of the police was that they could not grapple with it properly with the law as it stood. Ho hoped they would be able to get something done this session to strengthen the hands of tho police in dealing with the subject. As far as ho could arrange for police supervision, ho would bo glad to do it, at any rate.