THE MEN AT 'ROTO ROA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 21 August 1913, Page 4

THE MEN AT 'ROTO ROA.

Sir,—ln your issue) of August 13 it is reported that an interesting petition was presented to the House of Rcpresenta/■lives from 17 inmates of tho Inebriates' Homo at Roto Ron, I wish to refer only to one portion of this petition, where the men ask that they shall not be required to work moro than five hours per day, and that they- shall receive 2s. Cd. per week pocket money, and tobacco. Now, it is this last item that I .strongly object to, as it is next to impossible to break a man of the drink habit, so long <is-ho is allowed to indulge in the tobacco habit; so it would be most absurd to attempt to do so. There is nothing surer than that "smoking leads to drinking.". Of courso I am .well aware that somo peoplo who smoko in moderation do not drink to excess; but I am not writing about temperate people who can practiss some degree of self-control; but about those who are incapable of doing, so; 'and for them it is the height of folly to allow them to indulge in the smoking habit, whilo trying to break them from the drinking habit. Any narcotic drug will soon establish a craving, if it is often indulged in. Any unpreitidiced medical man, that is, any doctor who does not smoko himself, will confirm what I say, and I can refer you to numerous authorities on the subject. I had latolv a mclancholy case under observation. Tho man decided to turn over a new leaf. He abstained from all alcoholic linuors. but was nn inveterate smoker. I told iiis friends that unless they could induce him to give up smoking as well, there was no hope for him, and so it proved. Ho went "on the burst" for five solid months! And then I don't know what became of him! —I am, ete., TEMPERATE.