LICENSED VICTUALLERS AND CLUBS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7824, 18 December 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

LICENSED VICTUALLERS AND CLUBS.

A largely-attended conference of delegates representing licensed victuallers in all parts of the country has been held at Manchester, under the presidency of Mr. J. Hunt, chair man of the Manchester Association of Licensed Victuallers. In opening the pro-« ceedings, the chairman reviewed the position of the trade during the past year, and said he thought they might congratulate themselves on the position they now occupied, particularly when they took into consideration the remarks made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Dartford, hinting that proposed legislation in regard to licensing matters would be based on fair play and justice, and would not be influenced by ravings of fanatics and enthusiasts. All that licensed victuallers wanted was fair play. JKeferring to clubs, which, he argued, competed in a very unfair way with licensed victuallers, he said the authorities in Manchester some time since made a raid on a number of bettiDg clubs, and were no doubt right. But he failed to see the difference between the Prince of Wales betting in a club and an ordiuary working-man, except that one bet on credit and the other paid ready money. There was nothing licensed victuallers felt so much as unfair as the competition of these clubs. A long discussion followed, and all the speakers condemned bogus clubs, which had sprung up so largely in recent year?. Alderman Hielop, vicepresident of the National Defence League, said there were in England and Wales 18,000 clubs of one kind or another, and of these only about 2000 were genuine—the others might be described as bogus. The suggestion that clubs might be licensed would not improve the prospect of publicans, for it would greatly complicate the question of compensation, and create thousands of competitors. On the motion of the chairman, seconded by Alderman Hislop, the following resolution wan carried, "That, in the opinion of this meeting, composed of representatives from all parts of the United Kingdom, connected witu the interests of licensed victuallers, it is desirable that in the event of any alteration being made in the licensing laws, as is apparently contemplated by the present Government, the question of clubs should be placed on a basis satisfactory alike to the public and publicans. I