THE LICENSING LAW.

Evening Star, Issue 10391, 12 August 1897, Page 3

THE LICENSING LAW.

AN UNUSUAL CASE. A somewhat unusual case connected with the administration of th'o licensing law is creating discussion at Wauganui. Mr Kettle, as chairman of the Licensing Committee, refused to give Mr Tasker, who for seventeen years has been a resident of Wanganui, and for nine has been a licensed publican, the certificate of character required by the Act. Some time ago he was charged by the police with Sunday trading, but there was no conviction or endorsement on his license. Recently he sold out his licensed premises and bought into the Rutland Hotel, but before doing so ascertained that the police would offer no objection to his request for a license. Mr Kettle, however, refused his certificate, and also declined to discuss the matter with the mayor and a deputation of residents which waited on him with a petition in Mr Tasker'a favor beyond stating, in reply to the representatives of the deputation, that they could not know the facls. Mr Northcroft, S.M., who was present at the interview, agreed that with the facts before him Mr Kettle could not have acted otheawise than he did. In commenting on the enormous power whioh is entrusted to a magistrate in a ease of this kind, the Hawera 'Star' raises the point as to whether there ought not to be a right of appeal in suoh cases. It is true, it points out, that one magistrate is not bound by the decision of another in such a case, but it would be very inconvenient to have magistrates giving contradictory deoisions on precisely the same facts. In this instance, as two magistrates so entirely agree, the faots are apparently against the applicant; but there may be oases (3ays the ' Star') where it would be very advisable to have a review of a magistrate's decision by a higher court.