TO STOP SMOKING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1908, Page 2

TO STOP SMOKING.

A HARBOUR BOARD BYLAW.

Members of the Harbour Board were by no moans unanimous at their meeting yesterday when tho draft of a, new by- ' law to prohibit smoking was brought up. The Bylaw read: — "No person shall smoke on or about any wharf or in or about any store except on or in any portion of any such wharf or store set apart for the purpose." The chairman of tho board (Mr. T. M. Wilford) said he folt there would bo very great difficulty in enforcing this bylaw in its present form, for strangers, i quite ignorant of it, would como off a ! steamer on tho wharf smoking a pipe or cigar and would be liablo to bo clapped on the shoulder by some officious policeman, and subjected, perhaps, to prosecution. In its present form the bylaw was too draslii. Mr. R Fletcher : Yes, not only po- i licomen, but harbour board officials. Wo | should requires a whole army of officials ! to watch smoking. Mr. Jones observed that at one timo smoking was entirely prohibited, but , that was found to bo difficult to en- ! force, and then the regulation was entirely relaxed. He thought, however, somothing should ccrtainly^bo dono, and suggested the modification of tho proposed new bylaw. Mr. Bolton earnestly hoped the wharves would not be as rigorously look- ' ed after as a. fortresp. Mr. M. Cohen suggested tho posting of notices on the wharves, where necessary, prohibiting smoking. Tho chairman thought the words : "adjacent to any cargo" after the words "any store" would meet tho case. Mr. Harkness held that no hardship would be experienced by any ono it the bylaw wore administered by officials with tact and discretion. Tho secretary (Mr. Forguson) admitted that tho board had many bylaws which, in the hard toxt would be very hard if enforced; but t\hat was wanted was tho power for an officer to say to a man ; "you must not smoke," and I then, if he persisted in doing co, to j take him before the couit. yome such power was undoubtedly necessary to have. Hon. T. K. Macdonald suggested that the question be postponed until next meeting, and this was ultimately agreed to.