LICENSING BILL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1351, 20 June 1881, Page 2

LICENSING BILL.

The Licensing Bill is now printed. It ia a bulky document of 58 pazes, containing 229 clauses and 11 schedules. The last clause repeals all existing Acts, and the last schedule comprising a list of the Acts so repealed, includes one of the Imperial Parliament (24, George 2 0. 4), four of the Governors and LegisCouncil of New Zealand, fourteen of the General Assembly, and thirty-two provincial ordinances. It provides for Local Option to applications for new licenses only. No licensee is to have any beneiicial interest, directly or indirectly, in more than one license. Incenses are divided into live clauses. The first including publicans, family hotel, club, bottle New Zealand wine, and billiard table licenses. The second class comprising packet, wholesale, and conditional licenses. Under Olub Licenses the licensee must be an officer of a olub, and may only supply liquor to bond fide members and their guests. The New Zealand Wines Licenses authorisas the sale between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. in quantities not exceeding two gallons to any one person, of wine, cider and perry, the produce of fruit grown in the colony, the liquor to have a strength not exceeding 30 per cent, proof spirit. New licenses (of first class) are only to be granted at each anuual meeting ; second class licenses may be granted at any time. The following are proposed as the annual fees for the Various licenses •:— Publicans' license within boroughs, '"JEW, outside £30 ; Olub license, £20 ; bottle license, £4o ; New Zealand wine license, JEljJbilliard table license, £10 ; {fc3ket license £10 j; wholesale £10 ; conditional license, according to duty, not exceeding £30. There are elaborate provisions for registration of licensed premises as to duties and liabilities of licensees, rendering debts for liquor nonrecoverable, etc. No liquor of any description is to be supplied to persons of either sex who are apparently under the age of 16, the exception in last year's bill permitting beer to be supplied ,to children of 12 years being struck out. Inspection of licensed premises (clubs included) is duly provided for. Convictions for selling adulterated liquor are to be endorsed on the offenders license and placarded on his premises, and for a second offence to be advertised at his coat. . I

The Premier is taking charge of the new Licensing Bill this year, inasmuch as Mr. Dick brought a great deal of opposition on the Government last year through the indiscreet, offensive way he talked in the House about brewers and publicans, which was more suited for a Band of Hope soiree or a temperance tea-fight than a Legislative Chamber, and certainly quite out of place from the lips of anyone with the slightest pretensions of being a politician. Further, his vulgar egotism and dictatorial manner was quietly resented by members of his own party. Mr. Hall will . manage matters better this time, and give greater satisfaction to all parties.