The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1879.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 222, 26 July 1879, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1879.

: The Hon, Colonel Wliitmore Ims in- : troduced a Bill for the cure of habitual drunkards by. establishing homes for their voluntary or involuntary confinement. "We believe that the idea is by no means a novel one, that it has been discussed but not adopted by the Home Parliament, and that in America similar institutions have to a certain extent been productive of good. Admitting that the experiment is worth trying, the question will arise as to what the cost of the trial will amount to. The Bill proposes that the money should be found by Counties and Boroughs, and it is tolerably evident that, in the North Island at least, neither one body nor the other has any balance available for such a purpose. Supposing that Counties and Boroughs do not establish homes to the satisfaction of the the Government, the Ministry under the proposed measure will have power to erect them and deduct their cost from the County and Borough subsidies. The Bill may therefore be regarded as a cheap humanitarian effort on the part of the Colonial Legislature, and the Government which fathers it has the satisfaction of attempting to do

good without the alloy of paying for it. We hardly see that it is fair for the Colonial Legislature to impose taxation on either Counties or Boroughs unless these bodies are willing to submit to it, Wo are uncertain how far the movement will be a success, and while we would gladly see the experiment tried, we are doubtful whether a new and possibly costly department should be oreated in the colony in order to try an experiment on a large scale which might be with more advantage attempted in the first instance on a small one. If any County or Borough in the colony is willing to try such an experiment—and we assume there is a demand for such a measure in some section of New Zealand, otherwise the Colonial Secretary would not have moved in the matter—let the Bill be.! made of a local character only, Let it be an Auckland, Dunedin, or Wellington measure, and after say some town of importance has carried out its provisions for a year or so, it will be practicable to estimate what the profit and loss of a colonial movement in the same direction would amount to, It is proposed by the institutions to relieve two classes, viz,, those who voluntarily seek a retreat to enable them to overcome the morbid craving for stimulants, and those who on the application of friends or relatives may be committed by Resident Magistrates to this new species of durance vile, We do not envy the R.M.'s to whom would be assigned the delicate and difficult task of determining who are or are not habitual drunkards. and to distinguish between cases which are suitable for curative treatment and those which are capable of being dealt with under existing laws. We feel that a reform of this character will in practice be surrounded with difficulties, and for this reason advocate its adoption on a limited scale in the first instance. It is asserted that it is now possible to remove the appetite for alcohol by different processes—one, for example, is by the patient subsisting on farinaceous food and abstaining entirely from meat diet., Another is a preparation of Peruvian baak, which is said to be a certain remedy. Were a trial home established in some centre ot population it might be practicable and easy to try these and other experiments, and to gradually build up and extend a system which would do away with habitual drunkenness. A slow and sure development of such a system is far wiser than any attempt to grapple with and extinguish the evil simultaneously all over the colony, The colony is not as yet ripe for such a measure as the one now brought down by the Hon. Oolanel Whitmore, unless its operation is restricted in the manner we suggest, so tnat the cost of the i mistakes which are certain to be made < in carrying it out will not be a serious burden to the colony at large.

Communication on the Port Darwin cable is restored. The Masterton Volunteers parade on Monday next, when arms will be distributed to members. Messrs lorns and Fergusson's sale of fruit trees, etc,, takes place in the Town Hall at 2 p.m. Mr W, Bell announces a Clearing Sale at reduced prices, which commences from to-day. Messrs .T. Paul and Co., drapers, of Wellington, announce that they are about to hold a sale at Masterton.

A meeting will be held at Mataikuna on August 5 to elect a Warden in place of Mr Dully, resigned, for No. G Ward of the Cashpoint Highway Board, The monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Greytown Working Men's Club will be held to-night at 8 p.m. Mr It Langdon, of Whareama, made the usual declaration yesterday consequent on his appointment as a J.P., and subsequently took his scat on the Bench, We are glad to learn that Mr T. W.

Shutc of Kuripnni, if now so far recovered from his late accident that lie is able to take outdoor exercise.

Notice is given of Courts for hearing objections to valuation! under the Land Tax Act, as follows:—Greytowu Borough, August 7th; Wairarapa West County, August Bth; and Wairarapa East County and the Borough of Masterton, August 9th. . 6

Three candidates were nominated yetterday for the vacancy in the Masterton Borough Council, viz. : Messrs A. Bish, J. H. Corbett, and Donald Donald. The proceedings at the nomination were purely formal, August sth was announced by the Returning Officer, Mr R, Wiljono, as the polling day,

Entries for the coming Ploughing Match close this eyening. It is a pity that a longer notice of them was not given, and that the programme has not been publishod, but we presume these hard times the committee are not able to do all they have done on former occasious, and will do, we trust, on future ones,

The Greytown.Football Club is going in heavy for practice. A monster scratcli match will be played on Saturday in Stewart's paddock at 2.30. There aro aboui 25 names down already for this match. We hope to tee a large muster and good sport,

We notice the Rev, Mr Bruce wil 1 officiate at the Presbyterian Church to" morrow. Mr Bruce lias been pastor o' St. Andrew's, Auckland, for more than a

quarter of a century, and is one of th 0 ablest clergymen of the Presbyterian Church, We have had the pleasure of seeing the programme of the concert about to be given at Greytown in aid of the Hospital on the Ist August, and if it will be carried out as intended it will be a great success, The Stonestead Brass Band is an important feature in it, and would be worth going to hear alone. We hope there will be a large attendance. The Standard Is sorry to have to record a very painful accidenr which happened to MrW. R, Thompson, at Greytown on Tuesday. Mr Thompson who has the contract for erecting additions to Mr Gallagher's premises, it appears was just driving in a nail, which instead of entering the wood flew back and struck his eye, tearing it in such a manner that the ball ot the eye was hanging out. It is feared that the eye is so much injured that sight will not be restored to it, and that sight will not be restored to it, and that it will seriously affect the other.

The Treasurer of the Masterton Hospital acknowledges the receipt of L 8 Cs from Mr J. Stuckey's itation, Rangitumau. On Monday last Mr 0, Pharazyn was oleeted Chairman of the Awhea Eabbifc District, Mr Tully.. Treasurer, and Mr Wratten Collector. It was agreed to levy a rate of live shillings per thousand acres to pay preliminary expenses and purchase poison, A meeting of the Park Trustees was hold in the Institute on the 24th instant. Present—Meiars Renall (in the chair), Feist, Vile, Woodroofe, and Hare. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Resolved—That the Treasurer be reqaested to apply to the Town Clerk for the sum voted by the Borough Council for the use of the Masterton Park, and when the amount is received the claim cl the Wairarapa Pastoral Association against the Trust bo paid, That the interest due to Mrs MeKenzie upon the loan borjjwed for the improvement of the Park be paid on the 6th proximo, and that the Treasurer in the meantime apply to the Town Lands Trustees for the .sum, veted by that body for the benefit of the Trust, That the secretary be requested to communicate with Dr Hosking, as a member of the Trust, with the hope that he will be able to give his asiistance at the future meetings of tho Board, and in the event of his professional duties preventing his attendance, he will be pleased to announce a successor, in order that the duties of the working members of the Board may bo made more equitable, An account from J. Paytonand Co. was passed for payment.