THE CONDEMNED KEROSENE.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 4, 6 January 1881, Page 2

THE CONDEMNED KEROSENE.

A correspondent pointed out very forcibly in our last issue the possible destination of at least aome of the large quantity o£ kerosene condemned during the past few months as " dangerous." His theory is that as the tins of condemned kerosene cannot legally be sold unless distinctly labelled "dangerous"—which probably would prevent their sale altogether— it is possible that the oil itself may be Bold in smaller quantities to the poorer classes, who usually purchase their kerosene by the bottle. If so, the peril attaching to the use of this highly inflammable liquid is enormously enhanced, both because it is so much more widely distributed, and because consumers of the poorer class have leas opportunity of guarding against the danger, if, indeed they are aware of it at all. It is very desirable that some steps should be taken to ascertain whether or not this dangerous kerosene is really being thus retailed in bottles without any warning label. An early opportunity should be taken of officially testing the contents of these bottles, and if found under the legal standard, the vendora should be prosecuted with the utmost rigour of the law. Before quitting this subject, it may be worth while to direct the attention of the Government to one answer which has been given to our thrice repeated query — " What becomes of the condemned kerosene f " That answer is, that the condemned oil is re-shipped to Christohurch and Dunedin, where the law is not strictly enforced as in Wellington. If this be the case, we hope the people of Christcburch and Dunedin will be gratified at the intelligence. Certainly this explanation would seem to account in some degree for the frequency of fires lately in the South, the causes of which, if not altogether unexplained, have usually been attributed to the explosion of kerosene lamps.