The Globe. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1650, 4 June 1879, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1879.

A matter came under tho consideration of tho annual Licensing Court yesterday which claims the most serious consideration. We allude to the quality of tho liquor sold in Christchurch. Of course in many hotels there is no danger of receiving any deleterious mixture when a glass of spirits is ordered; tho character of tho house would suffer were any but a pure article offered for sale, an article which though not always exceedingly palatable, is at all events free from poisonous adulteration. But all houses do not sot such store by their good name, and prefer largo present profits to the more permanent advantages of holding tho right to a claim for straightforward dealing. Yesterday, before granting the renewal of the license to tho Railway Hotel, the Bench severely censured the applicant on tho execrable quality of tho liquor sold. The chairman said a case had come under his notice whore a person, after drinking a glass of ale purchased in the hotel, had boon perfectly stupified, and Inspector Hickson said frequent complaints of a similar nature had to his knowledge been made. And not only with regard to this hotel, hut to numerous others of the fifty-four that grace tho streets of this city, tho same complaint applies. In point of fact tho present system works most unsatisfactorily. By tho Act of 1877 tho Government can appoint colonial analysts, and by the same Act it is put in the power of Inspectors of Nuisances or Inspectors of Weights and Measures “on being required thereto by any person having reasonable cause to suspect any articles of food or drinks or drugs to ho adulterated, to procure and submit samples of such articles respectively to be analysed by the analyst appointed by the Act.” Now there is one groat flaw in tho provisions of this Act. What is every man’s duty is no man’s duty. People will not ho found ready to complain to tho inspectors above named, and so the object that the Act aims at is entirely nullified. Supposing a man in the course of the day to take some spirits or beer that ho finds does not agree with him,ho cannot always fix on tho particular public house whore he has received that glass, and, even supposing him to have reasonable suspicions on tho subject or to have only been to one hotel in the day, ho will rather avoid that hotel in the future than go to tho trouble of interviewing the inspector. The vis inertice that weighs down most of the functions that belong to nobody in particular, tells in favor of the publican, and ho goes on selling tho poison that is shortening the lives of his customers. It is high ■ time the police should be empowered to see to tho purity of the fluids sold in Christchurch in the same way as they can see to tho purity of tho bread made hero. By the Millers’ and Bakers’ Act of 1871 it is made lawful for any Justice, and also for any constable authorized by any warrant under the hand of a Justice, at reasonable times in tho day time to enter into any house, mill, shop, &c., belonging to any baker, to seize a sample of the bread sold, and find out whether it is pure. This is the sort of thing that is wanted with regard to the liquor traffic. Lot the police bo empowered to make raids and examine the qualities of the [fluids sold. Respectable publicans cannot for an instant object to such a process ; it would be to their absolute gain, for tho public wouldjbe assured that the article they buy at those particular hotels is above suspicion; but, on the other hand, a law containing such provisions would be a terror to publicans who misuse their

opportunities, and impose on their customers most deleterious mixtures. It is high time, indeed, something were done in this matter, for it concerns the public health most nearly. We wonder what proportion of the deaths that are annually credited to tho abuse of strong dunk should not rather bo credited to the swallowing of poisons which are mixed up in tho potations of tho sufferers. We fancy, if it were possible to arrive at any approximate result, tho percentage dying from slow poision, other than alcohol, would rather astonish the enquirer.

Colonel Whitmoke has just left New Plymouth, where ho went, with Sir George Grey, with the object of makmg inquiries of a military and strategical character. Ho, no doubt, has found ample room there for tho occupation of his talents, although it is to be trusted that bis views have boon of a more practical character than those enunciated by him when the question of tho harbour defences was mooted. It will bo remembered that his ideas at that period were such as might be credited to an escaped lunatic, but not to a retired officer of Her Majesty’s army. He gave it as his manured conviction that no harm would bo done, even supposing a hostile cruiser wore to attack one of tho Now Zealand ports. He thought, indeed, that tho residents would rather enjoy the fun than otherwise, and that the enemy, growing tired of the good humour of the inhabitants, would finally retire in disgust. Such peculiar views, if still adhered to, will not bo satisfactory to the people of Taranaki. If Colonel Whitmore thinks that the settlors will smile complacently when To Whiti’s fanatics appear in tho neighbourhood, and will rejoice exceeding at seeing their Jands ploughed up, property seized, and stores ransacked, wo fear he has miscalculated colonial goodtemper. Tho gallant Colonel should always put himself in tho position of those whom ho undertakes to enlighten. Ho is credited with being a fiery little man, and would certainly not keep his rather fluctuating temper if either Russian or Maori were to amuse themselves by taking long shots at his august, though dimiuitive, person. Perhaps, however, the roar of inextinguishable laughter that greeted his harbour-defence utterances, both here and in Australia, may have taught him to understand that tho public at largo are not quite so gullible as ho thinks them, and that common sense must guide tho utterances of even the most extensive military authority.

A certain chastened joy was this morning visible in the faces of most of the the good citizens of Christchurch, Was it that signs wore discernible that the monetary pressure at present existing was likely to decrease ? Or was it that nows had boon received that the dreaded “Colorado beetle” had been lost in the ranges down south? Or was it that Councillor Cass had been converted from the error of his way, and was at last convinced that the world was an “ oblate spheroid” ? It was none of those things ; it was caused by the fact that Councillor Wilson had, at last nights meeting of the City Council, declared that he had no intention of depriving the citizens of his services. No wonder that the birds sang more merrily, notwithstanding the dullness of the morning! No wonder that men’s faces glowed! For the great Councillor, the “Star Comedian of the City Council Troupe,” is still to appear regularly every Monday evening.