A BREWERY LICENSE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17229, 21 December 1923, Page 11

A BREWERY LICENSE.

THE MATAMATA QUESTION i AGAIN. Per Press Association. b TAURANGA, December 20. j An echo of an important application j which was before the Licensing Comi mittee at Taursnga in 1920 for an acj commodation license at Matamata, ■ which the committee by a majority declined, was heard at the last, meeting ! of the Licensing Committee -when one 1 member reported that the Collector of j Customs at Auckland had granted a li- ! cense to the Paeroa Brewery Company i to sell beer at a depot at Matamata in j quantities of not less than two gallons. ! The position is that section 46 of the Finance Act, 1917, gives a Collector of i Customs this power without reference 1 to a licensing committee. On it beconv | ing know that such a license had been ! granted certain parties protested to the i Minister, who instructed the collector :to cancel the license. He endeavoured to do so but was faced with a Supreme Court action by the Brewery Com- • pany, and Mr Justice Stringer ruled I that the collector could grant a license but had no power to revoke it. Judgj rnent therefore was given for the plaintiff company with costs, ten guineas, j and disbursements against the ccllecThe position therefore is that what the Licensing Committee declined had ! been granted in part by the Collector jof Customs without power of superj vision or revocation and without the i necessity of consulting the committee The Licensing Committee passed a ! resolution that the granting of tho ! license was a reflection on it and that ' the Minister be asked to take steps to j revoke the power given to collectors to ' grant such licenses, which should rest i only in the committee, and that it be • given power to cancel the license in question when deemed fit.