LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14465, 6 March 1909, Page 5

LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTION.

.The nominees of the Temperance party in connection with tho forthcoming; Licensing Committee elc.-tion addressed a meeting in the .Salvation .Army I'arracks at North-east Valley last night. The hall was conifoiiably iiilod, about cue-third of those prcsc-nt being lad.ics, and the meeting was heartily ill sympathy with the speakers throughout. Mr Bolting was voted to the chair.

Dr tfe Lautoiir, who was the first speaker, restated the candidates' platform—viz., that they intended, in the manner they eon;iderul muit cqv.itr.b'e, to reduce the full number of licences permitted by law. Referring to a letter signet! " Doubtful" fi'iriearing iu yesterday's issue of the Daily limes, he said that there seemed lo be a great "deal of misconception with regard to tho duties a.nd obligations of the committee. The law laid doivn the general rulo for tho reduction of licenses. The first, to go were those that had an endorsement upon them, and after that the law stated that tho licenses wore to he -reduced in an equitable manner considering the needs of the dic-trict, so that tlicy could not say that they would reduce this class of hotel or the olhev class. Thoy would 'havo to consider each cue on its own individual merits. The letter 'was, no doubt, mused Iry eomo Tcmarks of his at a previous meeting. He went on to paint the picture which he said he had had in his mind at t-lte time—tho picture of a bright, clever, loveablo lad he had known, with a brilliant school and university record, who was now a pitiable wreck. In stating t his case ho had mot the slightest intention of indicating in any manner whatever that he was in favour of the closing of big hotels and leaving the little ones open, but he merely wished to show that the mcUiod of choice was surrounded with difficulties. Each liotel had to bo dealt with en its merits and there were very many things to consider, They could not begin to know themselves what, kind of hotels they were going to close until they had most exhaustively gone into the whole subject and into each individual case. Ho went lo stale, ott tho lines of previous addresses, a number of the principal reasons why he believed iu tho officaey of reduction. Incidentally he threw out an interesting explanation of how tho Clulha electorate came to win and keep prohibition, attributing it to the fact that it had already been tried on a small sc-"lo in tho Catlin's district, and that the hotels in tho electorate were so widely scattered that numbers had leamod lo do entirely without them, flic distances also hindering tiie organisation of the Liquor party.

Mr H. .D. Bedford said he wished emphatically to contradict the impression that lie had been casting reflections on tho characters of the. moderate candidates, for whom he had a high regard as worthy citizens. The point on which they differed was one of policy, and quite ap:irt from character. He proceeded lo give a vigorous and effective temperance address, pointing out the advantages of reduction.

Messrs G. Colder, W. King, J. A. Wilkinson, and S. C. Phillips, all briefly addressed the mooting, outlining their policy, and urging tho necessity of every voter going to tho poll on Tuesday. Numerous references to the results of reduction and of no-liccnso in the Varley were received with evident, approval by tho audience. I'.io meeting concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.