THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2550, 9 March 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1877.

In a letter which appeared in the New Zealand Herald of Wednesday, the writer traces one of thp great causes of drunkenness to want of proper means of amusement and diversion for the people. He asks a question, the answer to which, as he would answer it, is almost ah argument in favor of his assertion. The question is this: "Why iv the three great wineproducing countries of the world, France, Italy and Portugal (and he might add Spain) where wine is cheapest, is drunkenness less than in England ? " His answer evidently is that, men in those countries have more means of cheap and wholesome amusement in their power, and when they can get these they often care very little about drink. The question, as far as it partakes of an argument, and the answer to it, are both to a great extent true. Statistics prove that in England drunkenness is more prevalent than in the countries named; it is also true that the means of amusement when work is over are much greater, especially for the working classes, on the Continent. It remains, therefore, to see whether from these two facts. it is right to make the deduction that the facilities afforded for enjoying the latter tend to lessen the evil of the former.- It will be allowed by all except the most faithful disciple of Dr Blimber's forcing process, that a man who is engaged throughout the day either in manual or brain labour is in need of relaxation and rest. .The rest and the relaxation may be of different kinds, but still they are necessary. A man who has been exercising his body throughout the day does not care much, perhaps, for out-door exercise ; his wish is very likely to have his tea, enjoy his pipe, and amuse his mind by something which tends not to. bodily fatigue. This is necessary to him. The man who has been in doors all day, employed in the way of business —'be that of what kind it may, the office, stool or counter—cares more for some kind of exercise for his body, in the way of out-door sports. This to him is necessary too. When these necessaries are not forthcoming men must do their best to provide^ substitutes, and as many men, especially unmarried men, have not homes of their own, they wander forth as best they may to seek in the evening what amusement they can, and frequently, from sheer lack of having, anything to do, drop in from one public house to another and take more than is good for them. The necessity of providing amusement has been now for some time recognised in London, and there are few...of: the; large -bouses there which do -noirclbs^early on 'Saturdays to allow their employes to enjoy a half-holiday. But if this want of; amusement is one of the causes which, lead to excess in England, to a much, greater extent is it the cause of excess here. The worst is it appears to be one hard to remedy. Take the Thames for instance. What is there now in the evenings in the way of amusement for a young.man to do ? He may play a game of billiards without any harm or much expense, but he cannot play for a whole evening without a good deal of either, and if he has been in doors all day, the amusement is but a poor substitute for the exercise he requires. The long evenings are coming on us, and though in the present stateof things much in this way cannot be expected, yet-something may be done to render them less tedious than usual. The skating rink is one of these ; there are others which might also be profitably introduced. Another writer on the same subject thinks that the first writer has failed to hit the mark, and says that there is a sufficiency of amusements in Auckland!, but what i« wanted is "a rational and voluntary employment of leisure hours." Granted in one case that this is to be desired, yet it will only meet one, portion of the want felt, -.-^.hewriter suggests penny readings, &c, but. even if these were patronised— which we very much doubt, as no man would care to go night after night to hear them—they would fail to supply the want felt by those who, engaged in sedentary pursuits all day, have no inclina.tidn to sit for two or three hours more at a stretch listening to what they could just as well read for themselves, neither do we think they would do it. We repeat, the amusements required are of two kinds, as they are for two sets of persons : the body;must be relieved by having the mind amused, the mind relieved by having thebody exercised.

The successor to Major Gordon in the command of the Auckland district, Major Lusk, has given offence to the Auckland volunteers by an act which if accepted as a precedent would cause infinite trouble and annoyance, not only to Major Lusk himself, but to other officers command, ing districts and to those volunteers who are punctual in -attendance, especially when target practice is on. On Wednesday the Auckland Volunteers were firing at the Mount Eden range for the second set of carbine district prizes, and at the commencement of the firing at the 300 yards range,: a cavalry volunteer named Trimble arrived on the ground; and asked to be allowed to fire at the 200 yards and other ranges. Major Lusk granted his request, and he fired with the others at the 300 yards* making the top score. Ho then returned

to the 200 yards range with Major Lusk, and tired seven shots, making a score of 21. The Foluutedrs have entorud a protest,* which will b^ considered shortly. .They are.indignant. (ii:it a.person coming late should be allowed to fire with those who commenced punctually, and some of them go so far as to say that if the action, of Major Lusk is upheld they will come at any time they like next year. The usual rule observed at most competitions for prizes is that any one putting in an appearance after the first round has been fired is disqualified, and at the Colonial meetings any representative riot being in his place when his turn comes to fire, a shot is fired in the air, and a miss scored. It is manifestly unfair to competitors who are punctual in attendance to be kept waiting while some dilatory marksman pulls up his shooting at a range already completed by the "others; and besides this, if allowed in one instance it is open to all, and might be carried to such an extent that the arrangements for one day's shooting would be completely upset and extended over two or three days. It would have been no hard ship.to the laggard Volunteer Trimble to have refused him permission to shoot, as we presume he could have joined another squad ; and we 1 are not surprised to learn that the AuckVolunteers have protested against Major Lusk's decision. Better reverse the decision of the Commanding Officer than by upholding it establish a mischievous precedent. ' . : \

I The report pf:..th.e..'-Commissioners ..-appointed to examine into the state of the Auckland Lunatic Asylum does not show a very satisfactory state of things. Yet the rs port-is itself satisfactory in this way that instead of contenting "themselves with merely condemning faults which exist they show means whereby these faults may be remedied. Tiro of the chief points are that the asylum is tod small and there is. an absence of any curative system of treatment. As bad; or perhaps worse than this, they find that there exists apathy and indifference, both in the internal and external administration of the institution. They offer many recommendations to mitigate these evils. The first one, which is the only natural one, is that another wing should be erected so as to increase the accommodation, and also a modification of the internal plan. What this modification is to be does not appear, but it can easily 1 be understoodtliafc in many instances a great deal mWe accommodation . can be made by utilising the space at disposal in the best way possible. Regarding the other of the first two points, they think that' if more advantage were taken of the male and female labor, and more recreation and amusement allowed them, that the system would be more curative than it is now; and such we think would undoubtedly be the result. They point out abuses which they hope to see remedied, and wants which ought to be supplied, such as insufficient drainage, and proper means ready at hand for the extinction of fires; also that more indulgence should be shown to the bf&t^er conducted-patients. The report, which seems written in a very fair and impartial spirit, will, we should think, be productive of good if its recommenda/tions be acted on. .;