LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12483, 9 March 1909, Page 2

LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

ru-.UA Y'S POLL. The poll for the election of five members of-the Nelson. Licensing Committee will be taken to-day between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7, p m. at the various places which have been duly notified by advertisement. | Twelve candidates have been nominated for the five seats. Members seek- ■ ing re-election are Messrs H. Atmore'1. Best, V*/. Coleman, and E. E Trask. • T h e , "Temperance" party have nominated Messrs N. A. McLaren, T Pettit, R. Watson and Rev. B. L. Thonias, their platform being "the closing of bars of licensed houses at ten p.m. and "the impartiaradmhiistration of the licensing laws." * MecE!*;; Atmorc, Bartlett and Coleman have also announce/! themselves as in favour of ten o'clock license. P. Best, A. A. Grace, R. Hunter, J. Mercer, and E. E. Trask have been nominated as the Moderate "ticket. "^Their platform is a "fair and unbiassed administration of the licensing laws." Section 39 of tlie Licensing Act, 1903, provides "that overy day on which a licensing poll is taken in any . district shall be and bo de-omed to be a* public holiday afrer midday witliin such district, and such half holiday shall be deemed, to be a holiday within the meaning of the several statutes _or the time being* in force referring to public holidays ; and further between the hours of twelve o'clock anr. seven o'clock in the evening it, y.. a .\ be unlawful to sell intoxicating liquor in any licensed premises within such district." .*..»■ Section 123, sub-section 2 of the Legislature Act, liiuS, provides that ■ ;'where the polling day at any election is other than that appointed as the weekly half holiday under "The Shops and Offices.Act, 1908, the provisions of that Act relating to the weekly halfholiday, shall be deeiried to refer to the .polling day in lieu of the day so appointed, and it shall not be necessary for any employer to observe the day so appointed in the week in which the polling day falls:" Sub section 3 of the same section provides "It shall not be necessary for a,ny factory to close during any working hours on the polling day, | but the occupier of the factory shall | afford -to each of his employees -a I { reasonable opportunity of recording his vote, and no dediictioii shall be : madefrom the wages of any such eih- ■ ployee in respect of the time occupied I in so recording his vote, providing that such tinio shall not exceed one 1 working hour."' The Chief Postmaster informs us ' that owing tb the half holiday to-day in consequence of the Licensing Committee election, there will be only one ' delivery of letters by the carriers. *-. There will be the usual delivery .*to--1 morrow. . The returns as they are received *• will beposted outside this office to- - night. " The. Collector of Customs has .received information that the Customs house is to bo closed from nooii today, on account <?f the election for the Licensing Committee.