THE ADULTERATION PREVENTION ACT.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 99, 25 October 1881, Page 2

THE ADULTERATION PREVENTION ACT.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this afternoon, before a bench consisting of Messrs. E. Baker, J. Mackay, and J. Mooro, J.P.s, ton additional prosecutions for grog adulteration were undertaken at the instance of Constable Honry Gordon, the Inspector of Weights and Measures. The publicans proceeded against wore :— Charles H. Gillea* pie, Shepherds' Arms Hotel, Tinakori road ; William H Gieen, Albion Hotel; Ellen Harding, Union Hotel, Willis-Btreet; Francis, Taylor, of Johnsonville ; Walter BeyeV, Vie-/ toria Hotel, Abel SmLth-Btroet ; James R. ~ Brown, Criterion Hotel, Lambton Quay; Frederick Waliis, Branch Hotel, Lambton Quay ; John Compton, Kilbirnio Hotel ; Bedolia Burke, Clyde Hotel, Clydo Quay; and William Clapham and Daniel Rivers, of Ngahanranga. They were charged under the 7th clauso of thd Adulteration Prevention Act, 1881, with "unlawfully and knowingly selling to Inspector Gordon a certain article of food (whisky, gin, or rum, as tho case might be) which had beon mixed with another substance, to wit, water, with intent fraudulently to increase its weight or bulk, without declaring such admixture to the said Inspector." Tho c\so against Mr. Gillespio was first entered into. Mr. Stafford appeared for tho defence. It was shown that tho whisky obtained from thin publican was 19 2 under proof. Tho c\bo for tho prosecution having closed, Mr. U. P. VVilson, wme and spirit merchant, was examined as an expert witness for the defence. This gentleman conBidored whisky of the strength indicated as " a fair article to sell Ho himself would not care to drink whisky any stronger ; in fact he would prefer it ot weaker quality. Hennessey'B brandy, he added, was generally from 13 to 17 per cent, under proof. He had another brand, at present in bond, 18 1 or 18 2 per cent, undor proof, and he knew thete was any amount of gin to be got in the place lower than that ; he believed, indeed, square gin was to be got here now %t 25 per cent, under proof. Mr. Stafford contended that there was no evidence of Mr. Gillespio having f randlently mixed water with the whisky in question. He further pointed out that there was no standard strength fixed by the Act below which spirits must be considered adulterated. The Bench — The case is dismissed. Mr. Stafford — On what grounds, your Worships ? If on the legal grounds it will save a lot of time, for the other cases need not be gone into, -% The Be^ch — On the ground that there is no evidence to show that Mr. Gilleapie adulterated this liquor, nor is there any standard fixed by the Act. Inspector Gordon pointed out that convic tions had previously been obtained in that Court in exactly similar cases.- He had not proceeded against any publicans whose samples were not more than 17 per cent under proof. Beßide3, the Act provided that any person who cold any article of food " wh eh ahu.l have been mixed witu another subrta-jce with intent fraudulently to ia creas s ita weight or ..ulk" shojld bo deemed to have sold an adult-rated article ; it did not tay that the article mast have been fraudulently auulterated by the person who Bold it to him. The remaining cases were then adjourned till to-morrow afternoon, at 2 o'olook.

MORE GROG ADULTERATION CASES