CLUTHA LICENSING MATTERS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1028, 6 April 1894, Page 5

CLUTHA LICENSING MATTERS.

■» It having been reported that an application for a club charter for a house in Balclutha had been forwarded to the Colonial Secretary, that similar applications were intended to be sent for charters foi- a number of other houses within the Clutha licensing district, and also that an application was about to be made for a license for refreshment rooms proposed to he erected at the railway station here, the leaders of the temperance party took immediate action to prevent any such requests being granted. Several temperance societies wired protests and on Wednesday the executive officers of the Grand Lodge, 1.0. G.T ., of which order there are seven branches working in the Clutha licensing district, forwarded a memorial to the Colonial Secretary urging that no charters for clubs be granted for houses in the CJutha district. Fifty copies of a petition, of which the following is a copy, have heen forwarded to temperance workers throughout the licensing district, and every elector will be waited on and given an opportunity of affixing his or her signature : — To the Honorable the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. — The petition of the undersigned adult residents in the District humbly sheweth : (1) That the said — District is within the Clutha licensing district ; (2) that at the late licensing election and local option poll the proposals that no publicans', accommodation, or bottle licenses should be granted was carried by a majority of about three to one in the said Clutha district ; (3) that your petitioners are informed that an application has been forwarded to you from this district requesting you to. grant a club charter authorising the sale of alcoholic liquors; (4) that your petitioners believe that a club license will he even more objectionable than the licenses negatived at the late election, while the granting of it will he in direct hostility to the will of the people as recently expressed at the polls. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will refuse to grant any club charter or in any way sanction the sale of alcoholic liquors within this district. A petition to test the validity of the local option vote recently taken in the Clutha licensing district was filed in the Magistrate's Court here on Wednesday. The affidavits lodged in support of the petition allege various irregularities iv connection with the poll. We understand the petition was forwarded to Mr Hawkins, S.M., at Gove yesterday. According to the provisions of the Regulation of Local Elections Act the Magistrate must commence the enquiry within 14 days after the petition is filed, and he must give seven days public notice of the time- of holding the same.