Feilding Star. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1883. Adulteration.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 57, 16 October 1883, Page 2

Feilding Star. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1883. Adulteration.

* A few days apo a number of country publicans were summoned before the Resident Magistrate's Court at » iamaru on charceb of selling adulterated liquor. Professor Black, who was a witness It the prosecution, had made an analysis of the liquor sold by the publicans, and found that they contained a considerable quantity of tannin, the ustringent substance of bark, and very ir jurious to the human system. Ihe defendants' solicitor had, however, obtained a number of samples of liquor from bond, aud rhese. on being analysed by Professor Black at the court, were found to be a« much adulterated as the samples obtained from the publicans. The cases were therefore dismissed, the evidence showing 1 no knowledge of adulteration on the part of the publicans. The question yet remains to be settled as to what will become of the adulterated liquors left in bond, (rom which the samples produced in court were taken. As these were given in good faith by the importers, who were necessarily ignorant of the adulterated condition of the liquor, a heavy loss may fall on innocent parties from the sale of the being prevented by the unpleasant exposure made. The decision of the magistrate was founded on justice and good sense, for it would have been manifestly harsh to have punished the publicans for vending liquors, the deleterious qualities of which they were ignorant. As it is the obvious duty of the people and the Government io punish offenders against t»ie commonweal of the colonists, it is onlyproper that every means consistent with honor and justice should be used to that end. We believe that the very simple plan of subjecting all imported articles of lood and liquor to a severe analysis, would have the desired effect of preventing the poisoning of the people by illegal articles. The mode of procedure could be made simple and inexpensive as only one properly qualified analyst would be necessary at each large port, «nd when goods (edible or liquid) wre sent out of II .M bonded warehouse, certificates would be given, announcing that the articles were fit for human consumption, as well as merely snowing, as is at present the case, the proof strength of the spirits or wine. Iv fact we would go further than this: we would have all imported articles subjected to a rigid examination, of whatever kind of manufacture. I( we take the case of calicoes (which are free goods) silks and linens (on which a duty ol 16 per cent ad valorum is levied), it is well-known to ever* 1 consumer of these almost indispensable articles that in ihe item calico, the buyer is compelled to purchase a large percentage of clay and other foreign substances, put iv to make up weight, and in the items linen and silk, cotton is put in for the same purpose ; all tending in the one Direction — that of defrauding the consumer. Supposing such a law was in force, and its provisions were carried out with strict impartiality, a revolution would be effected which would certainly go a long way towards ruining a number of people at Home who devote their capital and chemical knowledge to the manufac rure of spurious goods for " export to i he Col"nies," while, on the other hand, we would get better value for our nmney, ar.d local industries would be encouraged. To pass such a Bill ou»ht not to be extremely difficult, and would probably become law after the few failures that seem necessary before any great and desirable measure for thf public good can be forced from our rep> esentatives in Parliament. < on-iderable opposition would be offered by tluse who sire now interested in the importation of spurious goods, but their efforts would be of only an underhand d scription. as few would be found bold enough to defend the dishonesty which at present obtains and is excused by the specious phrase of " being necessary from the activity of business competition." Another, but more Draconian, means of protect-

ing the public against the vei dors of j spurious and shoddy articles or goods would be the prosecution of evi-ry dealer who s^-ld goods without fairly stating 1 what they were, and not merely what they were represented to be. This plan works excellently wpII iv France and other continsnta] countries where freedom is perhaps not «o well understood as in English speaking countries, but we question whether such a law could be carried out in these Colonies, In fact, the case w<' huve taken as the basis of this article shows how difficult it would be* We are glad to see that both in Australia and New Zea'and a feeling 1 is arising" a»ainst the frauds perpetrated on tlie Colonists by English manufacturers, and when once that, feeling becomes more largoly «lis--omiuated, the smc' English nianufu.cturer.s will b>< rudely awakened from the fool's, paradise in which thrjy are now dreaming, and the colonial trade, which is so lar^e a factor iv the prosperity oi England, very materially injured.