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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 213, 4 September 1873, Page 2

The Timaru Herald of August ,22 says: There can be no excuse for such; a largesum of money leaving Timaru weekly foi* the purchase of beer now that a good sample is produced by a local firm. It has been asserted over and. over again that good beer could not be brewed here on account of the unsnitability of the water, but this assertion has been proved to be entirely groundless, Mr G. E. Field lately of Nelson, baying produced an article not much if at all inferior to that supplied by the Dunedin firms. Owing to the repu-, tation the Dunedin beer possesses, the correctness of our opinion will by many, be received with doubts, but we feel sure that such doubts- wili be dispelled by a visit to the Timaru brewery and a test of the beer there produced. At present brewing is carried ou on a small scale, but itis the intention of the proprietor, if sufficient inducement offers, to considerably enlarge his premises and wOrk by steam. The The brewery, a wooden structure, situated at the corner of Croase .and Browne-streets; contains: — A cellar, working room, malt store, cooling room, office and bedroom. The cellar, the floor of which is about six feet below the natural surface of the ground, is capable of holding fifty ' working'^ hogsheads. In one corner of the working room, is a large brick fire place and a 200 gallon boiler, and between the same room, and the cellar stands thie fermenting tun,' whose capacity is about nine hogsheads. The present building and appliances are only sufficient ito. allow; ;of a ; moderate; business, being carried on, but should Mr Field be liberally supported by the public, he intends to electa suitable building for the preparation of fnalt. ' The following lis an extract . from Mr Fox's speech in moving the second reading of the Licensing Bill .•~le is a hojrrible/j fact to have to record, bft t: \t is supported,, by the best calculations which I have been able to make — and lam satisfied that'- if I were to go through those calculations would carry conviction to the minds of all,' who; hear j me— that not. fewer than 500 persona die in this Colony every year from: the excessive quantity of intoxicating drink which they consume., Viewing this

with a regard to the immigration question, it is a pecuniary loss of ho • less than £50,000 to the Colony each year. We are borrowing large suras of money, and are incurring gigantic liabilities," .for the purpose of ■ introducing immigrants into this Colony, and everyone of tho 500 who die have to be replaced by another from home. The very passage money and expenses of those 500 amounts to £10,000 a year; and if we take the value of each immigrant at that placed by the Crown on each soldier in the British army, £100, we have a total of £50,000, whicb is a loss the Colony suffers every year by the death of drunkards; and that money might bo as well thrown into the sea. £10,000 of our immigration fund is absolutely wasted eyery year by the death of those 500 men through drink ; and they have to be replaced by 500 sound and sober men at the cost of the Colony. When these immigrant ships arrive at our shores, if any epidemic or infectious disease is suspected in the ship, what a stirring of dry bones there is. There is a rushing together of members of the Board of Health,, proclamations are issued, and all precautions are taken to prevent the loss of a few hundred of our numbers, aod it is right that such should be done. But the effects of such disease would be transient, and probably only a few would fall victims to jt before it was stamped out. But the 500 I refer to die every year, and the £10,000 paid for the passage of 500 to take their places is a steady persistent annual loss to tbe country, and yet we continue to take no steps to check it. Those who tell the public of these things are called fanatics, are thought little better than fools, and the whole thing is laughed down. I would nofc.have referred to this part of ths.subject did I Dot think it desirable to call the attention of the country to it in connection with the peculiar position in which we now stand with reference to immigration; we are bringing people out here at an enormous cost, and by our licensing laws we hurry .tin immense number to an early grave, to make room for those who come out in their places.

. For remainder qf, news see foutth page.