LICENSING DISTRICTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14213, 14 May 1908, Page 5

LICENSING DISTRICTS.

Sir,—A peculiar point has arisen through' the alteration of tho electoral boundaries which is worthy of consideration by applicants for licenses.

By tho Licensing Acts, the licensing anil electoral districts are co-terminus, and thi' difficulty arises under sub-section 1 of fiectioc 11; of "The Electoral Act, 1905," The commissioners have altered -the electoral boundaries 'ii Otago, and have proclaimed the same in the Gazetto under tho section referred to, which then goes on to say: "And such report shall liare tho force" of law from the dale of such proclamation, but shall not. come into effect until tho expiry of the existing Parliament." From tho concluding words of tho subsection it would appear that Iho licensing districts remain as in (he past until after tho next Kitting of Parliament. If that is so, applications for licenses this year from _ would have to be filed at Nusobyfor the Mount Ida district, and not at Queenstown, in the Wakatipu licensing district, and those from, say, Chatto Creek, at Nasoby, and not at Roxburgh, in tho luapeka licensing district, the latter not jet. ibeing in existence as regards th« altered 'boundaries.

If applications are filed in the wrong place, there does not seem to bo any provision an the Licensing Acts to keep lliem ~ h em , (0 tllo ! )ro P er Committee to be dealt, with. Tlicro is 6 uoh a provision in the Mining Act in reeard to mining applications. ■ llio important of the point to intending applicants is obvious, and it may turn : out after all that Parliament will leave the existing electoral boundaries in the South '' ; '!P ne, v am ! sivo furthci- representation to the .North Island. This, of course, Aff - 7 7 a 6llort ,act--I am, otc., . 1 ' Not Interested. THE EX-MAYOR AND THE DOMINION. 0^! R '7 r Yo " r J r °!" l ' ll F article in the issue the follow'" 8 ° " IS - fivit? alTairs had the following appropriate remarks:-"I n b s officia! leave-taking, on the preceding ' daj Mi Loudon had (ho pleasure of listen. )ng to a series of well-deservcd tributes to 1 . P "" >S,aliln P- a »d COUrteOUS mannei in which he lind carried out the ' important work that fell to his lot during i," H T i? ° -ii Kvor - vt ' llin S to. was' ' said by the councillors who had served under him was thoroughly well deserved. : He can look bank lo his occupancy of the mayoral chair with pardonable prick?." I confess to a feeling of surprise, however, tiu i no "° °J '' le sentlemcn who spoko at the leave-taking nor in your remarks in ho above article was any allusion made to the unique function which Mr Loudon was called upon to perform during his mayor- 1 ally, one in which he.might be indeed expccted to take a pardonable pride—viz..' tho proclamation' of the new title of ' Dominion conferred upon the islands of New Zenland and their dependencies by his Majesty the King. Bearing in mind that the first announcement of this august designation tho' colony was made by the King's horald from the steps of the Royal Exchange in the foremost city of the world, it is no email honour to have been called , upon to follow it up in one of the principal cities of the Dominion as its chicf magistrate. The Dr Hocken of tho far distant future will in his historical reminiscences make mention of the change of title in the year of our Lord 1907, and will also without doubt record that the gentleman who ex-oflicio as Mayor of tho city proclaimed the Dominion in Dunedin bore the name of. Loudon.—l am, etc., Citizen". Dunedin, May 11. THE. ADULTERATION OF FOOD. Sir,—l have to thank you for' inserting my letter on'the alwve subject in your issue of 9th inst. I am quito aware that tho printed regulations issued by the Health ■ Department are being applied for. My contention is that firms in town are Belling goods which are adulterated in vention of the act, and that no etcpa are being taken to stop t.lieni. This has been our trouble all along. Acts are passed by the Legislature, and aro allowed to become dead letters. This is why I claim that we can gf.<t no satisfaction from tho department, Either the analyses the dopartment gets are defective, or, when the facte aro disclosed, action is not taken. At least I know of no other explanation, hut would ■ lie glad to-be put right if I am 'wrong.—■ I am, etc., I ' AXTI-PrtESERVATIVE. Dunedin, May 12.