WANGANUI LICENSING COMMITTEE AND FAIR PLAY.

Wanganui Chronicle, 15 March 1901, Page 3

WANGANUI LICENSING COMMITTEE AND FAIR PLAY.

To The Editor.

Sir, —Will you kindly allow me space in your columns to fully endorse the Rev. Cocker's..support of.the Wanganui Licensing Committee in bis reply to "Anti-hum-bug," as on this occasion the rev. gentleman is not giving utterance to his Prohibitionist views, but is endeavouring to protect the interests of those who, like myself, are not Prohibitionists, but moderates. To my_ mind "Anti-Hum-bug's "norn dc plume" is a misnomer. He should have signed himslf "Humbug," and you know that even the devil can quote scripture.. Sir, it has been admitted;",rom the Premier downwards, that what is known as "tied public houses" are an unmitigated curse, and one of the reasons given "is that the spirit merchant or brewers who can force'the publican to buy spirits or beer at their own price—however pure it may bs when it leaves their i hands —places the temptation of adultcra- ! tion in the publican's nnnds in order that he may ba able to make two.ends meet. Recognising this, our Legislature hfl-s tried to prevent it by law, and any attempted svas'on of that law. must,-in the opinion of all honest traders, be more open to •jondojnnation than an actual breach. For these reasons the Licensing Committee and tho Rev. Cocker arc only doing their duty to the public, and especially to moderate .lrinkers, in espousing evasion of- this sort. I will not comment further on this matter than by saying that the Chief Civic Magistrate' of a city should be the very first to set an example to his fellow citizens by upholding • the law in letter and spirit, and. like Caesar's wife, should be above suspicion.—l* am, etc., J. W. McLARIN.