CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 170, 17 January 1914, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

THE COCAINE HABIT. It was elicited in a court ease in England a few weeks ago that work- . men were in the luubit of using cocaine snull', which produced the symptoms of intoxication. Now medical men are agreed that the cocaine habit is very often acquired through using swill's containing cocaine In the first instance for catarrhs. hi some countries, no'taWy in America audi France, the habit iltas grown to alarming proportions. It is, in fact, officially estimated that in the United States 160,0flt)oz of cocaine are illegitimately used each year, while in one of the Bohemian quarters of Paris it is known that an- extensive illicit traffic is carried on in thin narcotic drug. Both in America and in France extreme measures 'have recently been adopted with the object of prohibiting the sale of cocaine except for ibona lide medicinal purposes. In France it is illegal for a pharmacist to sell cocaine except on the order of a doctor, and a short time ago v. Parisian pharmacist was imprisoned for infringing this law. According to English law, cocaine and its preparations may only 'he sold by registered pharmacists, who are required to put a poison label on all packages containing. it, and no compound containing one or more per cent, of the drug may <)> c sold to any person who is not known or introduced to the chemist who Is asked to sell it. It appears, however, that cocaine snuff is sold without .rcstrietiion by some publicans and tobacconists, in defiance of the law. No doubt the police, having been apprised of the practice, will take steps to stop a traffic that is likely to liave very serious elTeets on the community. In New Zealand it would be well if social reformers would watcli carefully lest, in their zeal for the suppression of the liquor trade worse evils in the shape of dangerous drug habits escape intention.

WHEN KILLING IS NOT MURDER. .Some two months ago. the fact of Sir John BebhcH, M.P., having fired at and wounded a burglar Who had entered his house by force gave rise to some discussion in England on the question whether and in what circumstances one man is justified in shooting another. It is well that, people in all parts of the Empire should know that the law with respect to the* matter. In ]B2:i a man named Mead was tried for murder, because he had fired a shot at a crowd that had surrounded his house in the middle of the. night, using threats of violence. The result, was thai, a man in the crowd was killed. In charging the jury at the trial, Mr. Justice Holroyd said: "A man is not authorised to tire a pistol on every intrusion or invasion of his house. . . . Rut the making of an attack upon a dwelling, the law regards as equivalent to an assault on the man's person. For a man's house is his castle, and, therefore, in the eye of the law it is equivalent to an assault." The killing in Unit case was clearly justifiable, but the jury 'returned a verdict of manslaughter. In an earlier case, in 17111, Mr. Justice Hawkins said: "If a person having actually committed a felony will ( not suffer himself to be arrested, but stand on his own defence or flies so that lie. cannot possibly 'be! apprenended alive by those who pursue him, whether private persons or public officers, with or without n warrant from a magistrate, he may be lawfully slain by them." This accurately describes the circumstances under which Sir John Rethcll shot his burglar, and if he had killed' the man it would not have been murder, assuming that lie had summoned the -burglar to surrender before he fired. The legal diction governing the' ease has been stated differently, thus: "If a feTon fn flying is killed where he cannot be otherwise overtaken, it is justifiable homicide."

■IMPORTANT CONFERENCES. The annual meetings of the following important organisations will take place in New Plymouth- next: month, commencing on the lfltli:—United Press Association of New Zealand, New Zealand Newspaper Proprietors' Association, and New Zealand Master Printers' Association. It is expected ibat. there will bo a large attendance of delegates, who will represent every part of the Dominion. A 1)001) EXAMPLE. . .Says the Keililing Star:—Following up the excellent precedent established by the New Plymouth Kxpansion League iii issuing an illustrated leaflet, a beautifully printed .booklet is to hand from the sauie source, describing by pen and picture the many real attractions of the delightful town "and district 'by. the sea. ■Mountains, busk and stream, waterfalls, gardens and recreation grounds are depicted with ;i. faithfulness to nature pleasant to behold. The .secretary of the League will be only too glad to'snpply intending visitors with this eloquent tribute to the beauty of New Plymouth.