SLY-GROC SELLING IN WELLINGTON.

Evening Post, Volume XIX, Issue 64, 19 March 1880, Page 2

SLY-GROC SELLING IN WELLINGTON.

Messrs. C. F.igjorth and Wai kloy attended before the City Council as ft deputation from the Licensed Victuallers' Association lasfc night to call the attention of the Council to the large amount of sly-grog selling that prevailed in ; the city, and tq ask them to assist in taking steps for the protection of the trade. Mr. Worth pointed out that a very great injustice was done to the licensed victuallers, who had to pay the large Bum of 4>40 per annum for a license while a large number of persons were doing a large illegal business without paying anything at all. Not only the trade but the Corporation— who reooived the license fees— thereby suffered. Step by step sly-grog Belling had gone on increasing until the licensed victuallers thougHt it right to make known their deternlination tt> pat a stop to it. In various fruiterers' shops, oyster saloons, hoosed^gteilKfame, and other unlicensed plaoe£ MS also in small trading steameiiJEißmor was being sold both in large afflSflnaU qnanti- ! ties throughout the provmcfT This hod a very material effect uponjfchg profits of the legitimate traders, and al§g*placed a strong temptation in their way .BBbr^ak the law themselves. Runbolders jpSiding along the East and West Coaßt complained 'of their men being continually drank and unable to work, and it was discovered thaVthoy were i supplied, not by the publicans, but from small steamers trading along the coast. In conclusion, Mr. Worth mentioned. that in Dunedin the Corporation ha^ roUA 35100 for the detection of sly-grog selling. Mr. WAi-Kt/ET pointed 6iA - done to the trade by ap-called Working Men's Clubs. ' " Whenever the Lioen»ing ' Bench refused "a license to a house, he said, the owner at once proceeded to call it a Working Men's Club, and to sell Honor in it without taking out a license at au. All that a man had to do wa«to'-pirf.3birn his name in a book as a member, pvf hfif halfcrown subscription — or he could ow» it— (laughter)-- and then he could bring in a friend, and have as much drink as he uked to pat for. He (Mr. Walkley) urged that the tras should be protected from prugtisejß such ajl these. If, not it would, be a qoMHbn for them to consider at tha'-etra d! the year whether it would not be better for the licensed victuallers to refrain from taking out another license, and ft*"!? their 'liouaea " Working Men's Clubs" in future. Mr. Worth remarked that the^Lfeensed Victuallers' Conference had suggested tha.t a Bill should be introduced next session <xm* taining a clause that these clubs should pay a registration fee of Jf>so per annum. > The Mayor said he might Bay, on behalf of the Council, that the licensed victuallers were entitled to any support the Council could give them in the matter. (Hear, hear.) At the same time ho did sot ~ see whaip the Council could do beyond giving them, their moral Support. They Moeived tha licensing fees, but had no further voioa in the matter, the oontrol of the houses being in the hands of ¦ the ' General Government and the police. The' C«unttil could however, forwarded the letter of the Licensed Victuallers to the police, with a strong request that they would take action in the matter. ' Probably the disonwion of the matter in public would have dome effect in putting a stop to the practice* -oqiiiplained of. I -n i.~ Mr. Worth concurred in thir.>ppinion, observing that it wenld now be s&fh that \h4 Licensed Victuallers were determine'cl to do, all in their power to prevent the practices complained of. Councillor Maohtnitt comp'ained that a number of wholesale dealers were selling liquor in smaller quantities than they wero entitled to under tneir license. * 'fiE Wo^«"saidtffitth%-ABgoCiation included thai in their general complaint as to the sly-grog selling in the city.. The deputation then thanked tna Couno^, and retired^ '