Wanganui Chronicle. AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1886.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 11135, 23 February 1886, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle. AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER "NULL A DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1886.

The results of the kte. licensing elections iv Auckland exhibit in a most marked munnei' the triumph of temperance principles, "and the satisfaction of the corn** munity in the Northern City with the re« form in licensing admini-fcration inaugu™ ratsd and carried out by the temperance party during the last two years. From the Press 1 telegrams received it appeared that the temperance candidates had this y. ar. been only partially successful, their opponents succeeding in wresting from them three out of five seats in two of the most important wards in the city, and getting one member in in another ward.. Without explanation, this looked as if a change had taken place in the opinions of^the people, and that they were desirous of some relaxation in, if not a reversal o?, the stringent ad ministration.of the act which has for the last two ye.qrs prevailed. The platform of the temperance oonimitleeß has consist ted of a uniform closing of all hotels at ton o'clock at. night, strict prohibition of Sunday trading, and no upstair bard. As in two of the principal wards the opponents of the temperance party have secured majorities, it might be supposed that the populace had gone back on the above programme, or some portion of it — had felt it to he in some \ arfciculars irksome or obnoxious, and therefore desired a change. Our exchanges to hand, however, prove that such was not by any means the case. Indeed, they show that the opponents of the temper" anee candidates were oblij/ed to accept every item io the letter's programme in order to save themselves, and that even then they only just succeeded in obtaining a bare majority. The position was peculiar. The candidates who were supported by all the wealth and strength of the publican and brewer interest were styled "modorites," and are described by the newspapers as " gentlemen of high position, and commercial standing." These gentlemen, who sought to unseat all the 'temperance candidates — some of whom of course had. not the same commercial standing, and were not personally so popular — announced themselves as generally in favour of ten o'clock' licenses, but left themselves a loophole to extend some licenses to eleven o'clock if they thought uecessary in special case 3. It so:>n became ap« parent, however, that the mnna of the Auckland people would not Allow of the slightest reversal of the policy of the past, and tha| if the " moderates " claimed any discretionary power iv the matter they would assuredly go to the wall. The result whs, that on the very night before the election, and also on the morning of the eventful day, the ' candidates supported by *' fcho traffic " publicly announced in the newspapers, in a b.ali-*-olunm advertisement) strikingly displayed, 'that, if elected, they would only grant ten o'clock licenses. Ac, therefore, both sets of candidates adopted the same platform, the contest narrowed itself down in the eyes of many electors to one of choice of men .only, The result is worthy of note. It has often been argued that, after a fair trial, the ratepayers of a city like Auckland would refuse to submit to the irritation and inconvenience of having every hotel cl&sed at ten o'clock — but the re*, result of two years' experience is, that the people are more than ever convinced of the benefits of the early clos* ing, and are determined not to allow of a single exception to the rule. The example might well be emulated by placej of lesser note.