TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1859, 5 June 1884, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

THE LICENSING ACT. It is a great pity that under this act no person under the grade of a sergeant can inspect unless specially appointed by the Governor. As the act stands, publicans in country districts can sell as much adulterated liquor as they please with impunity, as constables are precluded fiom acting as inspectors. Eveiy man in charge of a station should be an inspector under the Adulteration Act. As people cannot be made sober by act of Parliament, or temperate by the Blue Ribbon Army or temperance societies, it is as well to mitigate the evil as much as possible, by ensuring that the liquor sold shall be of i^ood quality. The profit on liquor is enormous, yet unscrupulous persons do not hesitate to adulterate it, in order to make the profit still greater. Biron Alderson said more than half the crimes committed were traceable to strong drink. In this country they could be traceable to adulteiatcd drink. For example, a man goes to a hotel and takes two or three whiskies ; in ten or fifteen minntes he is mad drunk, and in the morning wakes up to find himself in the lock-up ; he is brought tip and fined for being drunk and disoidcrly Now, if the liquor were good this would not have happened. Some people will say, " Serve him right for drinking at all," but that is nonsense ; when he takes the liquor he does not know the effect it will have on him, or he would certainly not take it. The sooner the inspector is appointed the less work there will be for the constable, and the lock-up will have fewer tenants. — (Own Correspondent).