The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25. SOME PURIFYING WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81873, 25 October 1906, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25. SOME PURIFYING WORK.

TIIERE is no doubt that the Post-master-General's amendments to the Post Ollite Act, relating to the help lutiierio accorded fraudulent persons and gamblers, arc much needed. Bnlidlf the new regulations—supposing .he House passes tin-in —will nave the effect of cheeking a Hood of infamous literature wiucli Australian and oilier quacks have hitherto dumped 111,0 this country by the ton. Most people ate familiar with the liuruHire which these regulations intend 10 suppu-ss as far as refusal to deliver | it tarough the post is concerned. It is onlf neccssarv to repeat that the circulars and letters sc.u by alleged nedicai hrms ihiough the post ollice have been the means of robbing men. old and young, in New Zealand of .ens of thousands of pounds, besides good health and self-icspeci. It is incredible thai while Australia has done so much of late to puige the country of s.unj of lis worst evils, the Commonweal,h Government still per-

mits the largest firms uf medical vampires in lac country u> dir.scminaie broadcast its vile literature and its viler medicine. It is chiefly for the benefits of this one particular firm

that die New Zealand Government intends if possible to make the drastic rigulations which will give the Postal Department power to suppress everything thiil mav come under the various clauses that are to amend the Postal Act. It is possible for -the

post office to refuse to help in evil as well as good, and of course it has ' involuntary helped in villainous schemes through the medium of its i wonderful world encircling system. Apart from the use of the telegraph lines of the eolon'y by the press, no body of persons use the lines to a greater extent than gamblers. If therefore, the post office is about to suppress lottery circulars, it must close its wires to the gamblers. Ouacks. palmists, psychomeinsis and professional abortionists have for years advertised their wares and their mysteries in the city papers. They are still advertising them. Most of the ladv specialists work is done by post. "Although the police are well aware of the presence in the community of these persons they take 110 action. They have power to take action even though the new regulation under the Postal Act do not pass. W'F. d« not hesitate to say that the "Madames" who do a nefarious and highly lucrative trade are a grea'cr menace to the country tlian Tattersail's sweeps which latter are to be made impossible in this country, supposing the Post office in that almost sunctna;ural wav it has is able io'recognise a fatter-all envelope when it se.-s one. The Post Office is the most trusted institution in the country, and the greatest power for good or evil, because it makes distance between scoundrel and scoundrel., honest and honest, of no effect. If it can minimise the evil it has been absolutely forced to do, in the dissemination of evil things Ihe new regulations are |n make impossible, it will have achieved something which t'vctv honest, clear man will honour it for.