CLEAR ISSUES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 62, 14 March 1900, Page 2

CLEAR ISSUES.

(To the .Editor.} Sir,—ln reference to your.report ot the nominations for Licensing Com- i mittees, readers not so conversant; j with the position as some of us would, ! I think, form a wrong opinion from the remarks made. For instance, the; question of hours of closing did not i. . come under "review at the recent Local i Option Poll, so it could not then have | been decided "that matter? were to ■ remain as at present." The dispute between the two parties is largely on the question of hours. At the yearly f meeting held in the month of June, | 1898, when those opposed to the ia- f crease in hours from 10 o'clock tiil4.s'i had petitions lodged, and were repre- I sented by counsel, Mr Theo. Cooper, § the subject was not mentioned. At | the next meeting of the Committee | the surprise was sprung, the lawyer |; representing the liquor interests leven forgetting to give intimation to I his learned friend who appeared for | the other side. The same committee | showed their eagerness to stretch :thej : | law to the point of breaking over the | liquor bar at the exhibition. Tb>' I personnel of the committee is a sec- g ondary matter; the Temperance part}' | have been as willing to conserve the . |j city finance, and as anxious as anjT |> other body of citizens; but while the * |i principals were quite willing to ac- f cept other names, and change the | committee, they insisted upon the I, maintenance of the same programme, ft We claim that the citizens of Auck- 1 land have not endorsed 11 o'clock, 1 and that they should be consulted. | Our motto is, always appeal to .the 1 people. As evidence that the hour H the point of dispute, we waited upon I two of the gentlemen opposing uV | Messrs Tudehope and Aickin, but g neither would aerree to pledge them- 1 selves to 10 o'clock. The vote on 1 Wednesday next is the only way in 1 which the wishes of the electors (fo r I it should be widely known that every I man and woman on the electoral roll can vote) can be ascertained. Tn{ choice is between five . gentlemen "r pledged to 10 o'clock closing, and seven who represent other issues. Tha ; importance of the matter from a citi- -■/■_ _en's standpoint is my reason for thus f trespassing upon your space.---T am, ' etc., * R. FRENCH, t