POET CHALMERS LICENSING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8210, 15 June 1888, Page 4

POET CHALMERS LICENSING.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sra, —I notice in your issue of to-day a letter signed " Temperance " commenting very intern-: perately on the action of the Port Chalnier* ; Licensing Committee, — characterising their .. actions as arbitrary aud unjust in refusing to grant renewals of bottle licensee. "Temperance "must .be a new churn, or he has wilfully shut his eyes to what has taken place around him, or ho would have known that in April last four out of the five men who-compose the Licensing Committee were elected for the express purpose ofabolis'bing these licenses. . The ratepayers decided that the bottle licenses were a.great evil, while the revenue derived from the licenses did not compensate; the ratepayers at the same time considered the respectability of tho bottle license holders. .... • :. I am sure the members of committee have, no feeling other than a desire to carry out their election pledges. " Temperance" insinuates that the committee were actuated by trade jealousies, saying that some who were on the committee follow the same business as the bottle license holders. I fail to know of more than one, and that gentleman has'been elected a member on every • licensing committee under the Local Option Act. Surely the ratepayers would have found out before this if business consideration! were leading him to abolish the licenses. Why, Sir, this gentleman has consistently advocated this step during the last three years,: and has been returned to carry it out; arid then, Sir, how could one man make his business considerations a means of causing tho other three Members voting with him ? I say three, because the other member was one of the other ticket—^viz., publican and bottle license holders—so that the insinuation'of private reasons being the canse of these licenses being abolished will not lie. "Temperance" alludes in glowing terms to Dr Drysdale's manliness. No doubt it deserves some notice at his hands, for .he was elected to support the licenses, but the four members who carried out their election pledges and refused to grant the licenses showed that they at any rate were not behind the Doctor; and further, each ■of these four licensiog com'mitteemen have for years past advocated the abolition of the liquor traffic, so you see there are others of the committee who have the courage of their opinions, which I must say "Temperance" has not, or ha would not have written under cover of » principle not his own. : . ' "....■:.." The whole thing lies in a nutshell." Thert were'five men nominated to abolish the bottle licenses and five men to grant them. The ratepayers by a large majority elected four out of the five men to abolish the licenses and one man to grant them, so that each of the members have, by their action on.the licensing bench, carried out their election pledges. ■. v If "Temperance" will dißoloso his name I •hall be most happy to discuss the financial part of his letter, on which ho is sadly needing information. —I am, &c, : Port Chalmers, June 12. Justice.