CORRESPONDENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2826, 13 October 1883, Page 3

CORRESPOND ENCE.

LATE HOURS AT PDBLIC-HOUSES. TO THE KDITOE OP THE TIMABP HBBALB. Sib, —You would confer a favor upon a largo section of your subscribers if you would kindly stile whether the present Licensing Act gives t!ia power to any two members of the Licensing Conimilteo to exteud the time for keeping open a hotel on any particular night. That auch power is conveyed by the Act is held and acted on m some district;, whilst m oilier* the Committee assert that the Act having been framed with a view to prevent late hour*, relieves the member* from local pressure by denying not only any two, but also the unanimouß Committee, tho right to allow any house to be kept open after tho hour fixed for the term, unless the extension be granted for the whole term sad a stipulated fee be paid bj the losteo. Upon thii view of the casa the Geraldine Committee procoed, averring that they have the very test reason to believe their mode of construing the piovisions of the Act to be perfec'ly sound. Knowing that you do not deem any apology necieajry for troubling you with any matter of public importance, I subscribe myself, Ukifobmitt. [It is not lawful either for two Mombers or for the wholo Licensing Committeo to extend tho hours for keeping open a hotol on a particular night. Any hotol keeper who keeps his house open on tho strength of any such imaginary permit ia liable to bo fined .£2O. — Ed. T.H.]