Supporters and the media alike have had a taste for the good stuff and do not like the dip in handling or the increase in the penalty count.

Since Palm Springs, the commission's chairman, Mr Setsuo Umezawa, has been telling everyone that he would welcome an increase in the penalties for anti-competitive behaviour.

The reiterations of the bans, especially on Pagan religious rites and sacrifices, and the increases in the penalties, indicated that the "Pagan" religion had still many followers.

The White House will also ask for the agency's investigative powers to be strengthened and for an increase in the penalties for online sales of prescription drugs to people without prescriptions.

Mr. Bloomberg also signed into law increases in the penalties for people who violate the city's assault-weapons ban and an increase in the minimum age for permits for rifles and shotguns, to 21 from 18.

Councilman Sheldon S. Leffler of Queens said yesterday he would seek an increase in the penalties for failure to use safety locks on their firearms, and to require that law enforcement officials be required to use safety locks in certain circumstances.

So the Lamy proposal gets sunk and, at the same time, we delude ourselves that we can solve the problem by a few months' increase in the penalties meted out to those who ply a trade we have presented them with as a gift, for profits we, with our laws, make possible.