NOT ALE-TASTERS.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 September 1919, Page 5

NOT ALE-TAST E RS.

7 ~—-—o-—-—-HEALTH OFFICER’S RETORT. FRANKLIN COMMITTEE AN- . NOYED_ “ The alleged flippancy with which an officer of the Public Health Dep"ar:ment (Dr Monk) frnntcrl a request that the quality of ~l~oholic liquors should be investigated, was the sub-jc-ct of magisterial remonstrance at a meeting of the Franklin Licénsing Committee on Monday. Dr Monk wrote as follows:———“Alcoholic liquors are analysed from time to time for alcoholic strength. This does not give any clue to age or quality, which can only be judged by Stastilig. The staff of the Health Dapartment is not sufiiciently large to .I‘lth"(‘i'<3'l"tL':l'l§"(é" "s'lich' ‘a "-ctrnsade, especially“ as, they rcqu_i_rc to liave clear heads.” The letter added that liquox; made in Aust7raliaV”and supposed to be "-'_Vell'Y immature had been put on the New Zealand mal‘ket.-5”" ‘

= The committee, presided over by.M-1‘ F_ Hunt, -S.M., took strong excep tion to what it termed the flippant tone of the letter, and the clerk was instructed to Write, askiiig the Health Officer if he thought the alvcoholir: strength was the only thing liquor needed examination for. The committee considered ‘that something shoufd be done under the Sale of Foods and Drugs Act. If the ofl‘i:-er declined to take any action, then 2119. committee would forward its request direct to the Minister concerned, for it was determined fo prevent. a-Tiiztterated iiquor being so?d in this district. By adulteration The committee did not mean merely the addition of water to liquor. The matter also cropped up at a meeting of the Manukauv Committee yesterday, when Dr ‘Monk WroteAstating that orders had been given for samples to betaken in alipai-ts of the Auckland province.