THE MAN WHO DRINKS ON SUNDAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 99, 24 October 1904, Page 6

THE MAN WHO DRINKS ON SUNDAY.

ATTACK ON THE BONA FIDE TRAVELLER. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL VOTES FOR HIS ABOLITION. One of the two mild sensations which enlivened the proceedings in the Legislative Council on Friday night, during the last day of the Committee' stage of the j Licensing Bill, concerned the bona fide traveller, and, after an interesting discussion, the Council solved the prpblem of dealing with this elusive personality by I abolishing him. The Attorney-General had an amendment which amounted to a re-casting of the clause (40) passed by the House of Representatives. When consideration of that clause was reached, the Hon. F. Arkwright moved on behalf of the Hon. C. C. Bowen to repeal the 1895 Act as far as it referred to bona fide • travellers—the object being to pronibit the sale of liquor on Sundays to any but the lodgers of an hotel. In moving the amendment, he said that nobody would suffer if the bona fide traveller were done away with. He doubted whether a bona fide traveller was- ever served on the Sunday. Of course, there were a great number of people who travelled merely to get liquor, and it was- to check these people that the amendment was moved. At the invitation of the last speaker, the Attorney-General expressed his views. The Legislature in 1881, he said, had enacted laws for the benefit of the bona fide traveller, but the conditions had changed since then. He admitted that in cities and their environs the abuse mentioned by the Hon. F. Arkwright did exist, but what abous the country districts? What about the people who were travelling in the country in such weather as had been recently experienced in this city? It was not right to say that the abuses of the 1881 Act could not be coped with, and that the bona fide traveller should be abolished. It was the duty of the Legislature to see that those abuses were remedied without any existing rights being taken away. The law had recognised that it was right and proper that travellers on a journey on Sunday should have the right to obtain refreshment. In a defence of the proposed amendment the Hon. W. Carncross s»id that if it were carried it would be one of the most bona fide amendments that could be made in the present licensing laws. He was convinced that a majority of the publicans would favour the abolition of the bona fide traveller. Several members spoke in denunciatory terms of the modern bona fide traveller. "The most cruellest thing this Council could do," was the way in which the Hon. F. Trask alluded to the proposal in the amendment. The Hon. J. M. Twomey thought the abolition, of the bona fide traveller would cause hardship, "even to tl»e extent of loss of life." He went on to describe the hardships of the horseback traveller in the country through flood and rain and storm, and expressed the opinion that he would require refreshment. "Let him try cold water," interjected a member. "Cold water ! Why, it would injure the horse !" replied Mr. Twomey. After further debate the amendment was carried, and the clause as amended agreed to. The next clause (41), also dealing with bona fide travellers, was deleted. From conversations with members of the House of Representatives after the Council rose, there was gathered some evidence of a general impression that the House will not combat the decisive action of the Council.

Mr. Robert Miller, one of Wellington's early settlers, died at his residence in Tasmnn-street this mouning. About a fortnight ago lie was seized with a paralytic stroke, from whicn he did not recover. The deceased gentleman was born at Paisley, Scotland, and came out to Port Nicholson with his parents in the ship Blenheim in December, 1840. The family resided for seme time on what is now tne site of the Hotel Cecil. Mr. Robert Miller was in business in Wellington for many years, and afterwards went to live in retirement at the Hutt, but for some time before his death he had been a resident of Tasman-street. In years gone by he occupied a seat on the City Council, and he laboured in other ways to advance the interests of the city. He was a director of the Equitable Building and Investment Company, from its formation up till the time of his death, and was also a shareholder in other joint stock concerns. He has left a widow and a family of eleven, the eldest being Mr. W. Miller, of the Greymouth-Point Elizabeth Company. The late Mr. Miller was yer,Y highly resfiected.