INCREASING EVIL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 102, 27 October 1931, Page 11

INCREASING EVIL

METHYLATED SPIRIT ADDICTS

SOME CONCERN FELT

Sum'! cuMccjin at . the number ol' methylated s\>ivU, addicts in .WelHnglon is expressed i" a letter -written to Ihe Minister of Defence (Hie Hum. •'• G. Cobbe) by an oJl'n-ial of the 'Wellington City Mission. A copy of (lie letter was road by the chairman (Mr. J. I. Goldsmith) at a meeting of the. Unemployment Committee recently. , . . , "'l'heve is no doubt that methylated spirit drinking is on the increase^ and I understand that about 80 to S3 per. cent, of the men ui-rcsted for JrunUcnness in the Mount Cook district aro methylated spirit addicty" states tho letter. "This, of course, is a verysenous state of affairs, and in my opinion it is an economic one, as tho men now have not money for beer or_ whisky. Tho result at the present time is deplorable. The men lose all self-respect and become filthy and degraded- in their Uabits. ■ . "It is impossible for the .mission to givo such men meals and beds, with.the result that they become very abusive. Tho cure is, in my opinion, to place the men on the island for a period. If this is not practicable, at least something must be done to ease the situation, as these men are wandering about the streets practically homeless." It was suggested that tho Government should set apart t portion of tho dofenco buildings as a. place where the men might sleep, and have some form oi- meals. The mission would bo pleased lo co-operate in the matter, but wished to point out that the expense of housing the men was beyond its resources. It was felt that the matter was a national one, as sooner or later the men would cause trouble, unless-some shelter was provided for them. "L find that the police are very loth to arrest any of theso men, and, while understanding their reason for this, feel that we cannot, carry on unless something is done," continued the letter. "Tho short sentences of from seven to fourteen days imposed on methylated spirit addicts are quite useless, as, when released, the men start drinking again. Indeed, it is safe to say that a methylated spirit addict case, released from prison in the morning, has qualified by evening to return there."

A POLICE VIEW.

"This is a very old trouble," remarked the Commissioner of Police (Mr. W. G, Wohlmann) when a "Post" reporter referred tho matter to him. "It seems that when times are bad men will drink this rubbish. They don't realise tho harm they are doing themselves, but lio doubt when prosperity returns tho evil will be reduced. ■ Methylated spirit is so extensively used.for industrial purposes that any restriction placed on its sale would bo a rather serious thing. A remedy lies in making it so nauseating as to bo impossible to drink. This would, of course, be a matter for experiment, and apparently attempts in this direction in the past have been unsuccessful. Tho police would be only too pleased to help to 'save these men from doing so much to-undermine their health, and I see it is suggested that they should be placed on Roto Eoa Island. Of course that can be done if it is found that any person is so injuring his health as to justify that step being taken. The police would not hesitate to apply to tlm Courts to have that done."