IMPORTANT CASE AFFECTING SPAR ROW POISONING CLUBS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2619, 29 August 1882, Page 3

IMPORTANT CASE AFFECTING SPAR ROW POISONING CLUBS.

A somewhat important oaso waa heard ond deoided under the " Sale of Poisons Act, 1871," before the Magistrate's Bench at Amberley on Thuraday. The short facta were that a farmer's servant purohaaed a 5s bottle of strychnine from a farmer, who, on behalf of a sparrow olub, had undertaken to mix poison with wheat, and aell the same for the repression of the email birds nuisance. The defendant admitted having sold the poison, and that he was not registered under the Act aa a vendor of poisons. It may be als» stated that the defendant did not keep any register of the poison sold, as required by the Act. The Benoh observed all it had to do waa to deoide whether or not there had been an infringement of the Act, and as the evidenoe, with defendant's admission, shewed, there had bean a violation of its provisions, a penalty must be imposed. Here it may be pointed out that the penalties under this Aot are for retailing, dispensing, or oodlpounding poiaona without being duly registered ; the maximum fine on eaoh information is £5, and any person selling poison without keeping a book, in which shall be entered the name and address of the purchaser of poison, and the Bignature of same, I as well aa of a witness, is liable to a penalty not exceeding £6 for the first and £lO for the second or subsequent offences. It would appear from this that unless some regulation j be mado by the Governor permitting some ] exemption to sparrow olubs, the efforts of [ the came to cope with the small birds nuisance I will be somewhat hampered. Possibly the I law will cot interfere with, farmers' olubs selling poisoned wheat.