Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DATLY.) Suivant la verita. MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1884. THE ADULTERATION ACT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 32, 7 January 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DATLY.) Suivant la verita. MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1884. THE ADULTERATION ACT.

We would again draw the attention of the public to the fact, that " The Adulteration Prevention Act, 1880, Amend ment Act, 1883," is now m force, aud would be well : too that all classes of the community made themselves thoroughly acquainted with its provisions, which are ola very stringent character. The Act is one that is administered rigorously, caunot fail to bear heavily upon certain dliffssesof thecommunisy. It is an accepted face that, now-a-days, adulteration is carried on to a great ox tent. A Southern journal i 3 told upon the authority of a competent judge that nine-tenths of the tea imported into the Colony is unfit for human consumption :»nd composed of deleterious substances. Other articles of food are [also manipulated to such an extent as, m many cases, to be positively detrimental to heal th. It is a mat ter of notoriety that considerable quantities of the imported wines aud spirits are connected almost entirely from substances which we generally suppose have no connection wh)i|eyei; with the manufacture; and -only an infinitesimal proportion of the French brandies consumed m New Zealand are what they are represented to be. As nh illustration, our con temporary mentions that it lately heard of the case of a merchant having offered .to several publicans what he termed "the very best French brandy at 2s per gallon." it is evident that this poisonousstuff was manufactured m the Colony. The Mount Ida Chronicle is of opinion that so far as the country is concerned, a rigorous administration of the Act would be hurtful, and m n:any cases unnecessary. The provisions relating to the sale of bread and milk should be curried ont ju their entirety, especially with respect to the latter, because m these cases the vendors can easily know whether they aye, or are not, complying with the requirements of the Act. One thing is certain : The provisions of the Adulteration Act concerning full weight bread will not affect the honest baker m the least. The Act endeavors to. make those of them who are dishonest honest, and there is need for an alteration m that respect, as some of them conduct their business m a manner the reverse of upright. With the former matters will proceed as formerly, but upon the last-named the Bill will re-act most unpleasantly, Vendors of milk, too, should be carefully watched. Milk will germinate disease more quickly than anything else known to science,

The importer must also bo made to bear his full shaie ■ f responsibility, as it would be manifestly injusf to visit his sins on the shoulders of the retailer of goods which he is not aware have been adulterated before they reached his hands, nnd which be purchased as genuine. Tf the administration of the Act should tend to this desirable end, it will prove to have been a national blessing, and the framor thereof a public benefactor. We can only hope the , ■ct will not become a dead letter and that the police, especially m the cities, will make an organised and xystemat c attempt to eradicate the pernicious, abuse tb.it wo greatly fear is charac teristic of the present age.