PLEDGED CANDIDATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14000, 4 March 1909, Page 3

PLEDGED CANDIDATES.

Sir,— the result of litigation the > law,. . is now quite clear respecting the position; < pledged candidates? are in. Part of the sec- -, tion, 51, reads: '"■'"Nor shall the fact of any. i member ;■ of- a, licensing v committee or any*v ,• number ,of members having '-, so pledged?:-;: or expressed themselves render any decision j|% or act of such committoc liable to be questioned or sot aside." Although our oppo* nents are making all the capital they can.:respecting!* the unfairness, as they terra it, . \ of the candidates frankly stating their pro-"-' gramme, they omit to say that they ap-„ ~ proached some xof them, (stating . that if" '. they would take a _ moderate . view... they, ; ••; would give them' their support. It at all events shows that the', unpledged ! candidates" are not going to reduce by twenty-five- per;; cent., if elected. While the licensing committee are largely an executive of, the .voter*'; who return them, they still hate a modicum * of deliberative /discretion, perhaps more 1 than some think. While the 1893 Act con-,' ferred the right of reiievvifl, subject to peri tain conditions, for the two years succeed;-™ ing the original grant thereof, it is an f open. question.whether, section 75 of the 1831 Act is not still operative. It reads: "The Li-, ' -,' censing Committee shall exercise their discretion in granting or refusing any certificate for any description of license, anE shall not bo obliged to grant the same,'*' etc. ■ R. Fbench. -"