FROM Our Own Correspondent.

Otago Witness, Issue 2622, 15 June 1904, Page 32

FROM Our Own Correspondent.

GTiF.YiIOUTIf, June 7. The West Coast, whiclt, rcoieLng to Mr Isitt, ivs3 the Ipst pace on cjiili to feel tlic effects or prohibition, li^s v.Ulii.i the past fp.v days iOiown. th.it the Xo-liqu'or paity js ?ot only gai m.ig s'lsn^th, but it. begi'in.iig 1o pinch t!ia trade's preserves. In the Buller all r.evv applications wore icfu-cd. J>. We^t'and, altbousb a new license wis glinted at Wailio in ths"f«n south, whe^e it jb much leqmrad, yet the Lomnnttet» ue.iaied its dcteimiuation to reduce ibe i.uuibei d lueu^d bousps, add, with two exceptions d.isuta cf Hokitika, io shoiten the hours frc~n ll to 10 o'clock. J* was, however. :n the G. ey elcc<oiat-° thai ihe leal fight to-ok pla<e ovei \he of a license at Duuo.ke (State cor! mines). In connection with this, complicaticr up^n complication took pk'ce. llie Go\ernui"i!t 1 1 understood to have opposed, the Pichib.lio'. pirty of cour:. j c'td, aiid a. section of the publicans and a, biewer opposed iocHi and Uo.iL Tbo &eordary ol the. Licansed Victua'lors, b.iiiite'f a cordial miiiofac'urer, took p-uid a pttUiu-n ag.uii = tho I, «nee, tbo oste*is.ble aigumeiit beirg ui?t ii it wrs granted it would maan prohibition r.rxl poll. The ical oppcsitujii on ll:° yiit ot a tection of the trade was that if an hotel w<o licensed near the mures the nimeis would not spe^d so much muiiej with them when they came to town. 'J hso. o.ic mcinoer of the committee, owing to a publican aud two o'ber peiso^o circulating a rumour th a t he was m+eiested in. the application, declined to fait on the bench. He publicly denied Lie rumour, and threatens proceedings i-~r s" Rider. Another member's '=eat was then < hnliongecl o:i the score that he hrd be^n absent foi tv,-o consecutive meetings. After adjourning he determined to fait. On the co-e biinij lulled tho publicans' lawyer (Mr Jojce) Uited the tcchmc-i abjection that the fo-m of ppplicakon, a Go^eranient foiri, wes net v. accoidunce vaUi the bob.ev.ailc :a the o"t, ma-n.uch

as that tho calling oi the applies! w. t s iot mseited. x\n odjcuinme'it to to - = it.er tins poinl wpj t?Ken. On lcsuimug the C* 1 .; iiu.ni (Mr K°nr!«,k, S.M ) sp d ihar .he coirmitee hnd decided to wane tl.is n,(ormali J y, ? nicu«h he persoualiv d.d not a^ree with it. JNlt Joyce then asked if. wider thee ciiciin:st n .ncc3, the clnirman w^uid fe.jn the hcci se wii:n gianted. Mr Kcimok rep'ied " Yes. ' A furthji adjournment was made for a pei = ma! vi-it to the piemises, and thei the liccn-e was gianted, and the committee adjoun.ed till Thursday, when other applications mil b» dealt w.th. Mr xVlarcll, a b.ev.cr, has expiesscd tr.s determination to apiicil t-i the Supreme Coiut against -th? gianticg of the license, on tho giound of ii..'oimsLty in t ! ic descinption of thf pppKcant. But the pecu'iai ps.rt is tint evciy application is alike, and if the o-ic gcos out, then so miist every licence m the di&trict. Ths aci'.on of the pub, leans Las caused a a'ro.ig feehrg m tho district, the niO'St modeiate men, who have always been against prohibition, berg ii.cci sed st a fev> ].üblicans attempting to saj v.ho shall have licenses and who not; while quite a nunibci decline openly that next poll Ihev wall sti.ke ".lit top liiio out.