DEPUTATIONS TO MINISTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10599, 20 February 1896, Page 4

DEPUTATIONS TO MINISTERS.

(Peb TJheeed Peess Association.)

Wellington, Febru»iy 19.

A deputation of temperance workers waited on tho Hon. Mc Seddon to-night, a-ii asked the Government to advise his Bxce leney t< remove the five members of Wellington Lieen« sing Committee who had voted for the transfer of the Waverley Hotel license from Lambton Quay to Newtown. The ground- f requesl were that the committee had oc el nnjustlj and sgainst the wiil of the people in granting a transfer, and it waa al*o urged that one or two members of the committee were infloebced by business considerations. Mr Seddon, in reply, said if the recommendation of the deputation were carried into effect tbe members concerned would be branded as bad men, and he would not like to go to that extreme. However, the question was of such grave importance that he would refer it to his colleagues, but he had no hesitation in saying the transfer should not havo been granted.

The Hon. Mr Wtsrd was interviewed to-night by a deputation from the Wellington Tjades and Labour Council who drew his attention'to the action of the Pes. and Telegraph Cash Purchase Association in off_ring the support of the association as an inducement to tradesmen tc materially, cut down their retiil prices, thus causing undue competition. The deputation contended that tha effect of this sysfaim would bo to drive breadwinners out of employment and to introduce boy labour. They urged chat civil servants were paid good wages by the colony and had no justification for resorting to such an unfair system. The council, however, had no objection to legitimate co-operative stores. Mr Ward, in reply, said tho Government had no control over auy branch of the civil sei-vice as to their private living, hut as sensible men the members of this association should see they were prejudicing their own interests by pursuing tbe course they were doing. They should bear ia mind that the people who were making these representations were virtually the paymasters of the colony. He promised to represent the views of the deputation to the Cash Purchase Association.