CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 19408, 17 November 1926, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

/‘BOOTLEG” LIQUOR. TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —May I be permitted to draw your readers’ attention to tho cable appearing in your issue of this evening relating to tho sale and existence of “bootleg” liquor in London? We have so often been told that only Prohibition and bootlegging go together that the news of those evils in the heart of liquordom will_ be quite a shock to many. One can quite understand a certain amount of bootlegging in a Prohibition country, and, although the evil has been frightfully exaggerated, it undoubtedly exists, but it should be noted that Prohibition docs not cause the practice. Not only in London, but everywhere liquor is sold do we find this evil of bootlegging, while examples of adulterated liquor—adulterated by the trado which affects holy horror at such a thing—were, given by the liquor traffic in New Zealand just_ a few months ago. Everything considered — the adulterating of liquor by tho trade hero, bootlegging in the midst of open license in London, bootlegging and liquor corruption in State Control Canada (as per' last year’s cables) —-it does not seem as though anyone can point a finger at America. That country may have an enforcement problem and quite a good amount of bootlegging, smuggling, etc., but she is making an attempt to kill an iniquitous traffic, and she has above everything the' vast good of Prohibition to weight down the dehit side. This cannot be claimed for other countries, which have the evils of bootlegging and the vast evil of the liquor traffic, too. There is nothing to offset the law-breaking in license countries, only dead loss to individual and nation.—l am, etc.. Liberty. November 16. BANANA PROHIBITION. tO THE EDITOR. Sir, —With reference to the report ‘Trade With Fiji,’ which appeared in your issue of the 16th inst., I would like to point out to the Chamber of Commerce that should the Fiji growers be fortunate enougli to secure reduced rates on the New Zealand railways for the carriage of Fiji fruits, this is not going to reduce the cost of the fruitvery materially in this city. First of all, it takes from eight to ten days to bring the fruit overland from Auckland, and considerable damage is occasioned the fruit with the constant handling, which is unavoidable by rail. Two railway freights would have to bo paid, as well as the sea freight per ferry steamer, and this would not overcome the greatest difficulty, which is the loss caused by deterioration through the length of time in reaching this city.

i Why not bring pressure to bear on . the Government to let us have the • Hinemoa make regular trips irom Suva • to Dunedin, carrying the South Island > requirements of bananas, instead of, as • she has been doing in the past, trading between Niue Islands and Auckland, a port that is regularly supplied with Island fruits? Ho far as the Cook Islands are concerned, they do not produce sufficient bananas to supply Dunedin’s requirements, let alone tho South Island, and we have ft regular monthly service from these islands (the ’Frisco steamer) calling at Wellington, which is quite adequate for the South Island.—l am, etc., ! Banana Prohibition. > November 10. ! FENCING OF RESERVES. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —One who signed himself “Pro- ! gross ” recently wrote to the Press : suggesting the painting of the iron 1 railings in the Octagon as a measure ■ of relief for the unemployed. These • ancient railings have bobbbed up fre- ' quently for discussion, and no wonder, ‘ for they have long outlived their pur- ’ pose. They take us back to the days J when the hotels were open until nearly • midnight and drunks were not so con- ’ spicuous by their absence as they are ’ to-day—to tho days when retailers ■' barred their show windows at night with heavy wooden shutters, and there were no electric bulbs to flood the . ‘ streets with light. But things have ! changed. Stray dogs no longer roam 1 the streets. The drunks and larrikins have disappeared, thanks to the early | closing or hotels and the opening of ' cinemas. Retailers have long since 1 thrown away their bolted and barred. shutters, and the huge sheets of plate 1 glass suffer no damage. Even private house owners are now pulling down ' their barricades and erecting smart ’ low borders to suit modern times, and ’ several fine examples of such are to bo [ seen in the north end of George street. | But the ancient railings still stand to 1 protect our reserves from a danger | which no longer exists. When those 1 responsible once visualise the improvement to be effected by demolishing the railings these eyesores will soon disappear; so let us hope they give the matter some earnest _ thought which will result in early action.—l am, etc., November 17. / Esthetic. T