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Have there been any prosecutions during the last few years or recently for allowing drunkenness on the premises of any of these public-houses ?-No.
Does that mean that the men do not become drunk on the premises, or simply that there are no prosecutions ?--It means that there is very little disorder on the premises.
And so far as you know people are not allowed to become drunk on the premises of these public-houses, nor is liquor supplied to them when they are drunk ?—I would not go so far as that. I should say that as a rule public-houses are very well conducted here, and that they compare favourably with a similar class of houses in any city.
Have you any suggestion to make in regard to them ?--In what direction.
In regard to the working of the law. Have you found that in any respect it could be improved?-Well, I think that the provisions of Ordinance 18 of 1896 regarding the sale of food should be enforced in a systematic manner. Section 6, of course, prohibits the sale of articles of food and drugs not of the proper nature, substance, or quality, and then there are provisions in section 12 for the obtaining of food in order to submit it to analysis.
You think that if there were a more systematic application of Ordinance, 18 of 1896, - there would be less danger of the sale of deleterious liquors? Yes. Of course, it depends upon how much time the analytical department have got. It would be useless to attempt the thing without having a strong analytical department. I do not know whether the analyst would have time to do all the work thrown upon him.
In your imagination what do you think is a strong analytical department ?—There are about fifty grocers' licences, twenty-three public-houses; they make seventy-three. I mean of what in your imagination should the analytical department consist ?-- Well, I was just reckoning. There are seventy-three houses, so that to do any good at all under that Ordinance you would have to take samples from each of these houses say, one sample a month at least.
And to do that would require what?-It would require an analyst to make seventy- three analyses per month, which would be a pretty big thing.
And probably that number does not include all that would be required? No. Of course, there are the wholesale licences, and then there are all the Chinese licensees.
Suppose an analytical department existed, do you think it might do good?—That is what is done at home, of course. In Ireland the police visit the public-houses and cach county has an analyst, and the samples are forwarded to him. He analyses them and prosecutions follow.
Is that with a view to the liquor being good or with a view to revenue purposes? Mr. MCCALLUM.-The quality of the liquor is dealt with differently for revenue
purposes.
WITNESS. I think the provisions of Ordinance, 18 of 1896, are copied from the law at home.
Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. In addition to public-houses there are also adjunct licences?—
At the present moment there is only one adjunct licence? At any rate they are insignificant in number?-Yes.
Have you any remarks to make about them?—Well, of course, you would have to analyse their liquor as well.
I mean you do not object to their existence ?--No. Have you any remark to make about them ?--No.