A PROTEST

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 2

A PROTEST

S BOUNDARIES AND LICEN ES. • 1 TWO HOTELS CLOSED, d > £ DEPUTATION FHOM PORIRUA AND n ' " FAUAUTANUI. j A matter oonhected with tho law relate' g ing to electoral boundaries inspired a ; protest mado by a deputation which was ') reoeived cm &iAnrday by Sir Jiuncp Carroll, in tho absence of the Primo Minister, wlio was ill and unable to be present I'orirua and Paliautiuiui have now been included in tho Wellington Suburbs electorate, which is a "dry" district. As a result two hotels—one in each of tho . places named—aro tlnrntened with loss of license. Tho deputation, which sonsistod • of about thirty residents of the area affected, was introduced by Mr. W. 11. • Field, M.l'., and Mr. T. Jl. Wilt'ord, M.P. Mr. Field stated that (he deputation was not only concerned about the two hotels, but desired to ask the Govenir ■ menl to remedy a serious defect in tho la,w—a delect that was perfectly mon- • titrous. in its results. If tne law remained as it ytood, not only those two.hotels, • but many others throughout tlie country would bs cloaxl, not by tho will of tho people, but simply by tho accident of the alteration ol boundaries. He was oonvino- • ed that this serious injustice lwd never been eoiilomplakxl when tho Lioeneing Act was passed, and that every member of Parliament, including three who est poused _th'Q. No-Liccnse cause, would ogrco v.littt injustice was being done. The position was accentuated by the fatifc. thart even if t'ho hotels-, having been onto dosed in this way, were relumed to u lioenso area, they would not be enabled to reojxui. Hotels oould reopen only when Continuance was carried in a" No-Licenea area. Mr. Field urged that the law should 1m amended this session. If it wero net done this .session it would bo too lato to help tho two hotels mentioned. Mr. Wilford endorsed what Mr. Field had said. The Hon. T. Y. Duncan, of Oamnru, who'attended, stated that in his electorate an alteration of boundaries had been followed more than once by a reduction of licenses. If this went on it would ba possiblo to have Proliibition all ovor Aew Zealand without any further volo : boing carried. Mr. W. Galloway remarked that he conld remember tho hotels iu question from tho time when lie was a child, and spoka of tho inconvenience which would follow if tho licenses were extinguished. - Tho district iu the past had been a good s one in supporting tho, present Govern* - ment. 5 Sir James Carroll: That does not enter l here. 3 Mr. Galloway remarked that tin; disr ' trict might be less Jikcly to support tlie 3 Government it' relief wero not granted. Mr. Wiilord: Tiia.t is not a good arini* $ mcnt. Mr. Galloway concluded that the (lis- - trict was a sober one, and eases of ob- - jcctionablo drunkenness were never to bo 1 seen iu connection with either hotel Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald said that to'him the deputation appeared as an indication of the indignation ielt in tho two districts at the position by which they were faced. Tho deputation included ladies and other .respected residents, who had no interest in the "trade." Sir James Carroll commenced his replj by admitting that the deputation hod made out a very strong case, from his I point of view, for tho consideration' of the Government. He regretted tho unavoidable absence of the Prime Minister. The question raised was not political or commercial in character. It was a (mention of whether rights, granted under existing law and depending for existence upon the oxcrciso of tho will of the pooplo, should bo taken away and dissolved not by any appeal to tho people, but by the accident of a readjustment of electoral boundaries. This was foreign and repugnant to'every democratic principle. He did not belicvo that tho Legislature, in promoting the licensing law iu vogue, had designed iu auy' way that there should be traps laid into which auy section of 'The iall. In 'his now it was a matter of piiro oversight and accidcnt. It was not a question as to the merits of theso hotels or to'whether they were required. It was a question virtually as to whether any section of the community should suffer without a moans of defence, being afforded it. It was for a majority of the people to say whether these houses were or wero not required. That tho licenses 6hould bo extinguished by a mere alteration of boundaries took away this right from tho people. It no contuatcd the position that those concerned had been to some extent dependent lor relief on a further readjustment of boundaries in somo cases, ill tho north, places put into No-License areas had since been .replaced in licensed districts. That some cases had been relieved in this way strongly supported tho claim mado by tho deputation. In passing, Sir James'Carroll hoped that the press would not uo- ' tice any arguments advanced on political or pursonal grounds. Hn was 'confident that the fair senso of Ihoso opposed to licensed houses would not allow them to prido themselves on any victories achieved through accidents of this nature. Ho gave them credit for a senso of fair play, and believed that they would accord their sympathy in cases of this kind. lie would lay before tho Prime Minister tho strong aiid urgent request of the deputation that steps bo taken as early as possiblo to set this matter right. The deputation thereupon thanked tho Minister and withdrew.