WEREROA LICENSING QUESTION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1201, 8 March 1895, Page 16

WEREROA LICENSING QUESTION.

A correspondent writes: —A meeting was held on Saturday night last at the Town Hall, Levin, to discuss “ the other side of the question ”in reference to the Wereroa hotel license. Between 200 and 300 people attended. Mr C. Thompson, of Levin, was voted to the chair, and after reading the advertisement calling the meeting and stating its objects, invited any remarks. Mr P. Bartholomew briefly stated that the time had arrived when the district required thesecpnd hotel. Mr J. Prouse, on behalf of the temperance cause, iu a somewhat lengthy speech, and. during many interruptions, strongly condemned the liquor traffic, but in no way touched upon the question of the Wereroa Hotel. Resolutions were then carried unanimously declaring the meeting in favour of the transfer from Manakau to Wereroa, and strongly condemning the action the Government are taking ,in the matter. The chairman was requested to forward 1' copfes of the resolutions to Ministers and each member of'the Bench. The meeting terminated in an orderly manner, with the usual vote of thanks to the chairman.

The sitting of the Otaki Licensing Court which was to have been held on Tuesday to hear the contested application for the transfer of a hotel license from Manakau to a building at Levin, about half a mile distant from the State farm, has been adjourned by mutual arrangement to the 14th inst. Mr Tiegear (secretary of the Labour Department), Mr Skerrett (counsel for the applicant for the transfer), and Mr H. D. Bell (whose firm had been retained for the purpose of resisting the application) proceeded to Otaki by yesterday morning’s train. On landing at the station they were met by the members of the Licensing Committee, and the adjournment was at once arranged, all parties being agreeable.