, 1896-02-12

of All existing law. This system too causes
more trouble on estates than the whole
amount of snaps distributed on estates dur
ing crop; the dividing up Of the rum bought
IN demijOhns from traders causes Quarrels
aud fights and numbtrless other evils. He,
for his part, would like to see less rum used
in the Island he would say let Us have a
heavy excise on rum remove the export
duty, and protect thu man who pays a dollar
a day for the privilege of selling ium in
smaller quantities to exact that tax and at
the sam" time MOTTO provide all possible iro-
lection against iulringements, is unfair lie
as merchant aud produ er would be mighty
happy to ct so cts. d gallon FIR ram sold in
the manner named but he thought that no
merchant, no honest man, has the right to
sell to one pers n well knowing that there
are a dozen or more who have dubbed
together and are the real owners, getting a
bottle or even less = a time no man should
curry on such a trade except with permis-
sion. Here is where the evil Of the low
minimum lies, and here is whore the IL
oensed rumshopkeeper requires protection,
In trederikAted, and where lie has none. In
West End d|emijoIn after demijohn of rum
IS being sold, not from the rumshops but
from the shops Of re allie IS. and are brought
out ON Estates and carried elsewhere plant.
ers can do not hug to prevent the evil
against th"ir int. est this traffic does nos
exactly work, but most decidedly it does
against the rumshopkeep rs It behOves the
Government aud the Council to drvise means
to prevent it; if it can not be done by q
heavy excise and The removal Of export duty,
then by some other means, even if by ~increas-
ing the Iimjr t. 20 or l0D gallons Of what is
permitted to be sold by others than rumsh0p-
keepers and licensed men. That excise
would be- b~eneicual to the Country besides
stopping the evil. AS regards reporting, the
system is odious; no one likes the post of
1nformer in amy position whatever; he for
one would rather be anything else than be an
lnformer hence no good will come out Of
the enaCtments on hat head. But the clause
was never intended for the ust which is being
made of it.-Ihere is another question in
connection with this business, to which lie
would also beg to call attention. The 10th
5 of the Rlmshop Ordinance prescribes that
a license to keep a rnInshop is only valid 50
far as concerns the person TO whom it is
granted and cannot be used by anyone else
but The widow # a license holder Shall as long
as she remains unmarried, he entitled to cou-
tinue the business with the help of = man Of
whom the PoIicema>ter approves. In WaSr-
end we have recently had Il case whore a
license to keep Il rumshop had virtually been
used by a man in the name If his mother;
this man failed, causing a loss to different
parties over the country it was generally
believed that the business was his own and
carried on for his account but a few days
after his failure the shop was opened again
and the rumselIing commenced. but now for
account Of the mans mother; this is tolerated,
and a protection Is afforded 10 rasc lily in
that way! In bat a very few days after the
failure the same business was reopened. only
under the license holders name this time;
the sale OF provisions in the country, where
a shop Ind been kept, was kept up too after
the failure, and it was said that in that way
some of the goods were sold that had been
kept open, which should have been sent to
tile Court; he reported this part to the
Police, as 1t was going on on his estate, and
it was STOPPED. No honest man wonll do
that. But this is not in connection with the
right held by Retailers and the like persons
to sell rum in small quantities; it is his
belief that, tightly considering, no one
should handle the article in small quantities
beyond the rumshopkeep4rs; even the limit
for producers, say 33 gallons, could be raised
to a puncheon or Ito gallons; he was sure
any man would 30 III for it.
The Governor said he knew nothing of the
GASES TO which the honourabls Member
(Blackwood) had alluded; he could only add
that according To tho law the pO1ioamoa+Ar