CORRESPONDENCE.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1792, 18 April 1874, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE LICENSING Q7BSTKW. To the Editor of the; Thames Advertiser. Sib,—The struggle of the school, and the library, and the Ohai*oh, against the beer shop and the gin pahoe, is bat one development of the war batwaaa heaven and hell; so siid a great brever, the late Charles Buxton, i'hiis, opiaioa is endorsed by thousaads of our ooaatrymon, and is reluctantly admitted to be ao by thousands, more.. ,So that the licensing question comes to the front as the most serious social question of the day, one of immense importance to every member of society. If the late Mr Buxton's deduction is correct, and I think thera is no doubt on that point, then we are brought facj to face with an enormous evil, with : agencies in every street, in some streets next door to eacu other, baeke I by strong monetary influence, and carried on by'the most sordid of motives -personal gainirrespective of every consideration, licensed by Government. This opens 'up tb question, whether laws shall protect evil, which undoubtedly they should not do. Lw, as put by-.Vlr'W. E. Gladatone, should make it ea<y to do right, hard to do wrong. The Government admit, to an extent, that the trallij in strong drink is evil, so they seek to regulate the evil. The time, [ think, will coma when a Christian Government will be so under tb control of Christian influence, that it will see that its functions are not to regulate evil, but to remove it. Unfortunately at present this is only "a consummation devoutly-to be wished." We have to deal with "mitters as they oxist at present. This year, the licensing question is to' be dealt with by a Court possessing more discretionary power that any Licensing Court has'yet possessed in this country. Its members .have placed i'i, their hands an important trust, a most soleini responsibility, the importance of which, I hop!*, will be realised by them. By the published list of applications for publioaus" licenses, I find that for the City of \uokland, exclusive of its suburbs, there are sixtyseven applications, and for the' Thames Boreugh:seventy-three.'. I would like to know what necessity there exists-for six more houses on the Thames; than in ~nd, taking into consideration'-the fact that Auckland, is a seaport town; also, tb difference.-in,population. The Thames applicants, to be on a par with thopublicoHS idea of Auckland's necessities, should be reduced by about l thirty. l But, going back to the original intention 1 of licensed victualler's houses, to provide refreshment'for man aud beast, and ; care j fully guardiug against tippling, and re : . inemhering that these houses were not intended to'be drinking bars,; but houses of accommodation-taking, tlijs.view, of the necessity for 'such houses, Auckland licenses might-be reduced-easily one-half, and the Thames proportionately, whioh would loave about twenty-five licensed houses.surely ample on this view of the necessity . J&m admitting- tUo

.above, the, question on what rule the Court should bo guided, is an important one. The first matter to guide them would be the report of the principal officer of police, which should treat on the breaches of the Licensing dct, even if it admits the incompetency of the police to prevent them. ' They should also satisfy themselves "that Section 33 of the Licensing Act, 1871, which sets forth the accommodation rnquired, ig fully complied with, by having the- kna-fide accommodation, arid nofc : specially fitted* up accommodation, got up for the annual police inspection. They might also properly inquire, if the applicant is the holder of.a publican's license, whether he has infringed upon Section 38 of that Act, which,-provides that ha .shall sell; no liquor, to bona-fide travellers, or persons residing and sleeping in his house before or. after the hours he is licensed to do bo, or on It would also be useful to ask the said applicant if Seotion 42, which prohibits gambling or playing at any game of chance in his house, has been infringed. Also, if he has kept. Section 45, which does not permithihr to' supply'or give; or permit or suffer to be supplied or given, any alcoholic liquor to any' person any of whose faculties, whethor mental or physical; are affected by alcoholio -liquors; if he has the accommodation required by the Act, and can say and prove that he has not broken these section! of the Act, grant his license-if ■ otherwise, refuse it. Let the Court 'follow ■ these simple rules, and I venture-to say wo should not have ten licensed-houses on the Thames. There are oilier points on which I-mieht touch, but I have already exceeded the space one communication-should occupy, so must desist. But : before doing so, I would like to point to one of the great dangers of this community-its drinking usages, The prevalence of shouting is binding many meu in strong fetters, occasioning on their behalf great anxiety by their friends,' and fraught with '.serious consequences, if not speedily checked. Since last licensing day, how many have been ruined by strong drink ? Numbers. To-day aching hearts from this cause are throbbing, wives;are supporting'-them-selves, and'their families," their' husbands spending their"all in 'drink,' arid unfortunately soma wives and''mothfe'rsi neglecting their duty from the'sam? causi, and this occurring in our Very midst, and sevenly-th'roe of our fellow-citizens ask permission to.live on the folly and sin drink occasions, and perpstuafce the' evil. Will their request begrantedP -I am. &0., Ohoxe John.