The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1884.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4081, 20 August 1884, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1884.

Our Licensing Act has never met with approval at our hands. Wo have seen from the first it is faulty. We have objected in tho interests of fair play, to rabid teetotallers being eligible for a seat on a Licensing Committee, Avhilo a man with a very indirect interest in a piece of land on which some one has built a public-house should not bo eligible. We object to a body Sitting with closed doors, -which, can give or refuse a license without any reason. We havo objected to one side of the street, because'it happens to be in one district, closing at 10 o'clock Avhile those houses situated facing it should be open till 11 or 12, because they happen to be under the control of a different committee. That the Act has not Avorkcd well avc have had experience in our own neighborhood in the case of tho Ormondville district. Wo havo seen AA T hat a "temperance" committee has been able to accomplish there. On those points and the various aggressive acts of the temperance bodies Aye have never hesitated to say what we think, and say it straight out, and avc believe that our opponents recognise that Aye have treated them fairly, because avc havo openly expressed our convictions. Holding such vieAvs as those, it is only to bo expected that avc gladly welcome a proposal to amend the Licensing Act, in a manner which Aye consider fair, and in a Avay which Avill give security to a man who invests his means in hotel property, without having him ahvays at the_ mercy of any chance majority. We think that even teetotallers will admit that for many years to come the public will not be prepared to swallow their programme of extreme measures, and therefore it is better, if avc Avish respectable members of society to be kept in tho trade, that the regulations Avhich govern the traffic should be fair and of a common-sense character. From our Wellington correspondent's telegram the other day it would have been seen that at a conference of licensed victuallers' delegates a fresh bill was drafted, which will be promptly introduced into the LoAver House, and Avillonabl6 the question to be thoroughly threshed out. We do not for a moment say avo arc prepared to endorse all the views adopted by tho delegates, but to the general scope of their efforts avo can give our commendation. First and foremost they propose a uniform hour for closing all licensed premises, a step Avhich Aye consider Avas much needed, and which Avill prevent injustice being done to a section of them. They propose that the present elective committees should be abolished in favor of nominated bodies, but should that not meet Avith the approval of tho people's representatives they suggest an alternative scheme, that the roll to bo used should not bo the burgess roll but tho electoral roll. Then, again, they ask that, if certain men through an indirect connection Avith hotel property should not be eligible for a seat on such committees, neither should men who are pledged to entirely abolish the traffic be capable of acting on such a committee. We at onco say that sucli a provision is perfectly fair. If you exclude the one class for the reason they are interested, so you should exclude the other class who are entirely antagonistic to the trade in every shape or form, and avlio, if they had their Avay, Avould put an end to-morrow to the traffic. Then it is asked that tho R.M. should be the chairman of such committees, so that judical knoAvledgo may be brought to bear on tho subject, and that evidence may be carefully weighed and sifted, so that the decision may not rest entirely on prejudice. On all hands it is admitted that the present plan of having a borough diAuded into three or four districts for licensing purposes is absurd, because the property in one street may be enhanced or reduced by the action of a very small majority, who may be governed by piepie or bitterness to certain individuals. Then it is further proposed that any person aggrieved shaft havo the right of appeal. That is English, Avhilo the reverse is not. But the proposed Act goes further. It practically says if you take aAvay a man's property you must pay him compensation for ruining his means of livelihood and robbing him of his hard carnin"-s. We liaA'o contended for this principle before to-day, but Aye have no doubt over this clause there will be a great battle between the two sides, as the temperance people will not recognise vested interests in tho matter, but the fairness of tho clause will recommend it to many, Avho will only sec in it a principle Avhich regulates nearly all other businesses, and which is utilised every day in the week in some Avalk of life or another. Then the license at present must be endorsed for every offence Avith which the hotel-keeper is charged, even in cases Avhere the Bench is of opinion to do so is a harsh proceeding, and it is now proposed that this shall be optional at the discretion of the Bench. The proposed reduction of the license fees does not meet with our approval. We would have preferred to have seen them raised, so that better men could be induced to put their capital into the trade. We are of opinion that a lowering of the license foes Avill tend to bring in an inferior class of men, and to such wo object. The last provision which we will notice is that which provides that a licensee offending against tho laAvs shall not be injurious to the property. That is to say, avo are asked to protect the property holder against his tenant. In most cases that is the Liav uoav, and its fairness is its oavii recommendation. In conclusion, Avhile avc approve of many of the proA'isions of tho bill, avo have no doubt that its drafters are open to accept amendments, and wo can only characterise tho attempt to improve their tenures and positions as one avcll worthy of consideration, for Avhilo all men abhor drunkenness the majority of men still demand hotels as necessaries of life which cannot be done AA'l'thoilt