The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 13. A MUCH-NEEDED RESTRICTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 13 April 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 13. A MUCH-NEEDED RESTRICTION.

Tin- Covenvmeut, not before it is time,' has lately prohibited the pas-age between this colony anil Australia of packages or letters sent by or to a notorious "mc..licai" firm in the Commonwealth—a lirai of which an ex-compositor with colossal cheek anil no medical experience is the chief "expert." The police not- long ago ipiietly warned newspaper proprietors that advertisements from that linn if published would render the publishers liable under the Oll'ensive Publications Act. Other newspaper proprietors on becoming aware of I lie nature of the

' llrm's operations did not wait to be asked but promptly withdrew the advert semen ts In question. Whether with others af a similar nature and whose principals have their hiibilal nearer home. Now , J that so much lias been done to purge llie cotmtrv of a blot thai is a foul disgrace ,») the'wretches who run I lies-- lanihinglowu dens in varii.us parts of Australia, it is to be sineerelv hoped that the police will «o a step fuidicr and lay the lecturers who are infesting thi- country in 111,, iutere-ts of Ihe vile (rule by the heels. We have, before pointed out indeed we weiv mug the pioneers who desired to root [his cancerous growtn out of (he country—of the evils done by various rogues who fatten on the credulity of young men. The system is toe well known to need more than a pass'up explanation. Once in touch by post with young men—most of whom are ir a norinal state of health—the vampire deluge them with blood-chilling threat: of insanity and death if their advici and medicines are not taken. Theri • are men in this colony who have worker for these pariahs for years in Order ti get "cured'—of nothing. It is per = f'ectlv true that the written horrors hav.

produced insanity and death in many i of the victims, arid the only pity is thatthose responsible have not been hanged for what are the wor.-t forms of crime. The linn we. refer to is an enormous organisation having branches all over the colonies and subsisting entirely on its .n-uesoine system of advertising and thrateniug letters. For a long time the newspapers of New Zealand did not I know the baseness of the wretches who ran the business, and their stereo blocks m;v features- of nearly all the papers iu the colony, and are slid features of nllesedlv rcspectaole pr nts in the Commonwealth. While, we are on the. subject of frauds we would once again like to touch on the thriving industry that is driven in New Zeaiaird/mostly by extremely illiterate women wlio have a "pastil'e treatment" or a scheme to -reduce corpulence," or «)«> will give you for eight ecu-pence "information that will be useful to you in love, marriage or business." These swindlers usually live in one of the chief centres, have a post oflVe box. and a residence and no piacc of business. They do not advertise their presence in the city papers but thev niaiiase to get a number of country papers to take their advertisements. The credulity of the masses—and the classes _i, absolutely appalling. Any exwasherwoman, styling Herself "Madame, mav take a little shop ami commence doing a roaring trade as a psychomodrist palmist, fortune-teller, or other -occult" fraud. Thje mere fortune-telling fraud is not necessarily a criminal. Hut the "nastile" woman is a criminal and 'the \ustralan wretches who have had a spoke put in the wheel of their villainy I are scoundrels who deserve not the slightest consideration.