The Evening Star MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2757, 18 December 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1871.

Notwithstanding the amazing activity manifested in every department of science, remarkably little has been practically done in the detection and prevention of many frauds on the public. Wo do not blame tradesmen who retail certain adulterated articles, nor manufacturers who produce them, so much as the public who buy them and who do not insist on competent officers being appointed to see that they are pure. Perhaps the Press is somewhat to blame for not bringing such subjects prominently into notice ; but there is a difficulty in this. Unless under protection of a privileged report in a court of justice, persons fancying themselves aggrieved by exposure or condemnation of a public wrong by the Press, seek compensation in a court of law. They may not succeed in obtaining heavy damages, but that is a mere accident. Juries are not always swayed by public motives, and not unfrequently sympathise more with the individual than with the journalist, whose only object has been the public good. Or even should an article be so glaringly intended for public protection as to lead to justification, the annoyance of

such proceedings, let alone the expense, is a deterrent which operates to a greater or less extent in the management of every paper. If, therefore, questions affecting particular trades are discussed, it is necessary to deal with them in general terms, leaving it to the public whether they will take stops for their own protection. We believe this to be the chief reason why the efforts of the Press are of so little avail. It is looked upon as a mere party organ, not a public instructor. We are led to these remarks through having the question of adulteration of food once more prominently brought under notice in the pages of that excellent publication, “ The English Mechanic and World of “ Science.” It gives in No. 313 the substance of a paper read at a meeting of the Manchester Literary and Philopophical Society. We do not know that there is anything in it that has not been before published. All that is stated has been eaid years ago in the “ Lancet ” and other scientific journals. But everybody does not see them, and when seen, the tale of most of the experiments creates only feelings of wonder in those for whose benefit they were made, They remind one of the revelations of the oxy-hydrogen microscope on which people gaze and shudder, and next moment drink of the well, fed by the stream in the component drops of which those aniraalcuhean monsters Jive. From time to time inspectors of weights have been appointed in Dunedin. Short weight one would have thought is of all modes of fraud most easily detected; but we do not think in reality that an inspector of weights and measures has ever been looked upon as a friend to the public. He has shared the same fate as the “ sly-grog u inspector ; and instead of being regarded as one lyvliose only office is to compel giving weight for raouey and to prevent fraud, he has rather ; been regarded as a spy. Theoreti-; cally men love justice ; but when an officer is appointed to compel its observance, we have many times witnessed far more sympathy with the man who cheated, than with him who, in the execution of his duty broght him VP for punishment. So it is with adulteration of food. Pure wholesome food is scarcely obtainable, excepting where adulteration is impossible, as in the case of fresh meat, and I even in this article, oversight is not unnecessary. We do not think adulteration is practised so much in the Colonies as at Home, But even here, it is not unknown. The evil is that if tradesmen would be honest they cannot live should roguery go mxdefcqeted. It is equally the interest of traders as the , public that fraud should be discountenanced. We cannot print the whole article, but commend to attention the following extract. Mr Morris described adulteration to be : The fraudulent .addition to any substance of another, for the sake of increased sale or profit. There arc several mod,as of accomplishing this end; the first and the most, common, is by the addition of some article to ■ increase the bulk or weight, as when starch is added to mustard, and cheaper flours to wheaten flour ; the second by improving the appearance and apparent quality so as to sell i an inferior article at the price of abetter, as in tie #ase of the artificial colouring of pickles made of .stale vegetables to resemble fresh. One of the commonest apologies for these practices is that the public prefer the adulterated article to the pure , that, for instance, pure mustard “ will not sell.” i This allegaion is, however, hardly a fair one, as the pure article is never offered ; and, doubtless, if the pure article were used as freely as the ordinary mixture, it would be found unexpectedly pungent. But the fallacy of such apologies has been exposed by the example of pickles, which under this plea used to be invariably coloured with an artificial and frequently poisonous pigment. The public eye was thus educated to expect them of a bright manufacturers have exposed the Land and sent out pure pickles, the public have completely turned round, and avoid any which | show an unnatural colour. The adulteration of bread and Hour with alum to wake them look whiter and of a superior quality has to some extent diminished ; but that substance is often replaced by the still worse sulphate of copper or blue vitriol, which was recently detected in 10 out of 20 loaves tested. In this ease the public has been led to suppose that the ’ quality of bread is shown by its whiteness, whereas by taking out the bran a most valuable part of the grain—viz., its azotised or flesh-forming portion is lost. Less dangerous admixtures are those at cheaper I lours, such as barley, rice, and cones (the litter made from a species of wheat called rivet), and even beans. Our institute has thus far occupied itself with theoretical questions, we would suggest that this is a branch of investigation that might be entered upon 1 >y some microscopist or chemist with great advantage to the community. Cropped out. —In order to make room for the High School report, we have again to omit several letters and some local mat tel’. Princess Theatre. — A. very good programme, comprising several novelt/ea, is put forward for to-night. Decidedly Clever. The Nelson paper tells of a recent school examination in that Province, in which a boy in a grammar class said that an adjective was “a man who drilled the Volunteers.” The youth deserved promotion. Waitaki Bridge. The resident

minister for the Middle Island telegraphs to Mr Parker, M.H.R., Tinviru. “Government buildings, December 9. No. 1126 design has been altered, substituting iron piles for wooden ones. They have been ordered from England and will be here in about six months. The iron girders arc now on their way The bridge will be erected for trallic in six mouhts from arrival of tbc pilesr” Encroachment of the Clutiia.— The Colonial Enginecr-in-Chicf points to the dangerous encroachments of the rivers. In one of his reports Mr Carruthors says that “steps should be taken to guard against the Gbit ha cutting away the isthmus on which the town of Balclutha is situated. It will probably cost very little to prevent this happening, but it will have to be attended to before the bridge over the Clutba is begun. ” The Cargill Monument,— From what has transpired at recent meetings of the City Council, our readers must be aware that it has been proposed to carry Princes street through the Octagon, and to remove the Cargill monuim nt, the only obstacle to the proposal being carried into effect, to the space in front of the Custom House. It will therefore be not uninteresting if we give a few particulars regarding the proposed alterations of the monument, which have been designed by the City Surveyor, Mr Mirams. It iiTmtcnded to place the monument, when on its new site, on a basement of Milestone, which will be of an average height of twelve feet from the ground, and octagonal in form, with projections on four sides. In these projections there will be four arched recesses for drinking fountains, which will bo supplied with spring water, from the Corporation's well in High street. The face of the basement will be axe-dressed, apd a richly ornamental baud of Hobart Town st.oije, about four and a half feet from the ground, will tend to relieve the heavy appearance <?f the Milestone. The basins for flic water, which will come through finely cirved linns’ heads, will also be of Hobart Town stone, while the pediment s|of the basins wid bj of polished Milestone. The basement will stand on a circular sub-base, of twenty-three and a half feet diameter ; and the height of the whole structure from the ground to the apex will be fifty-two feet. There will be an underground passage cominuncating with the central chamber, so that repairs to the waterpipes can be easily effected. Some objection has been made to the proposed basement, on t)jc "c o nd that the sombre color would not be in keeping with the character of the edifice that wj.H gpnwn it; but wo are inclined to think tjhat tRs substitution of the ornamental band of Hobart r fo}J a 3 1J d other work qf the stupe Jp;rt, v ria], instead of blncston/j as at first intended, will go a long way to remove t(fAt objection. Besides, we have authority for saying thaf Mr Swycr, the designer of the monument, contemplated its being placed on a basement somewhat simitar to that designed by Mr Mirams. There can be no question if the work is carried out, it will be a decided and important City improvement. “WT: have received Wise’s Almanac for 1872,'\vhj$i we shall notice on another occasion. A Volunteer amateur concert iti aid of the building fund, is announced to be given in the North Dunedin Drill Shed on Friday evening next. The monthly meeting of the Otago Kilwinning Lodge, No. 417, S.C., will be at the Masonic Hall this evening, at eight .o'.el.ocJv, Business: Installation of the R. W. Master .office-bearers. In our advertising will be seen the prospectus of the Dunedin Mining Company.