LICENSING ELECTION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10894, 10 March 1903, Page 5

LICENSING ELECTION.

0 ' TO THE BBITOB.' Sir,— By tins' evening's "Herald" I noticed that the Wangamu Licensing Committee he,ld a meeting to-day — not a statutory or legal meeting (the last statutory meeting of the present Committee having beem held some time ago, vide ■ newspaper reports, chairman's remarks re last meeting of Committee, etc.)— hut apparently a private, unofficial, semi-private, or what is sometimes called' by those' who name a , spade a spade, a holc-and T corner meeting — held evidently to bolster up the claims of the present committee for reelection, and to assist in justifying /their .-• erratic conduct in connection with the packet licenses. At this non-statutory" meeting it was stated "the chairman, Mr Kettle,' had written to Mr Hatrick, calling upon him to withdraw certain statements made by him in the 'Chronicle' of the Gth instant."' Will you kindly publish under this Mr Kettle's' letter, which I hand you herewith, and my reply, and al- • low me to say that I will later deal with Mr Kettle's extraordinary, and incorrect in facts, effusion... — I am, etc.,. - . s ALEXANDER HATRICK. l MR KETTLE WRITES TO MR . HATRICK. Wanganui, 6th March, 1903. Sir, — Re packet liceuse. My attention has been drawn to a letter published 1 by you in yesterday's Chronicle, in which you say : ''The Committee promised that if the* legal difficulty was removed they would re,new, as in the past, but they went back on their word," otc. I need hardly say that no such promise was ever • made by the Committee, and I have therefore to ask You to be good enough to at once withdraw the false and unfounded accusation which you have rilade against the Committee. 1 The Committca intimated very; clearly, before the application for a mandamus was made that even if- they had pd-wer "to grant packet licenses within the prohibited area, they were of opinion that they ought not to do so until they had been fully empowered to impose restrictions and conditions — which could* he' legally- enforced— for the protection of natives and others. The fact set forth in the statement of defence (copy herewith) .in the mandamus ease— more particularly ' the telegrams from the Committee to the Government of 17th June and 17th July, 1902— show. "clearly that this was the true position . which the Committee took up. T would also remind you tliattwlien. your applications came before the Committee for rehearing under the order of his Honour thoChief Justice, additional evidence, was ijiven, which strengthened and confirmed the previously formed opinion of the Committee that they would be doing a gross injustice to the natives residing within the proclaimed area if they granted five paqket license's which would enable native and other passengers on your- boats to purchase liquor on board at all times and iv nny qitantity, and carry it ashore at any place within the proclaimed area for consumption by themselves and others. — I ' hetve the honour to be, sir, your obedient reryant, CHAS. C. KETTLE, Chairman I W.L.C. A. Hatrick, Esq. \ MR HATRICK REPLIES TO MR. KETTLE. Wanefanui, March ,9th, ,-1903. C. C. Kettle. Esq., .Chairman .Waiig'ajiui Licausing Committee, 'Wanganui." " •Dear Sir, — I have your letter of the Gth of March.' I note you have signed that letter as Chairman of the Wanganui Licensing Committee. I am not aware Mat you have been instructed by tho Licensing Committee to write to me. I am so well acquainted with the matters •?boul which I wrote' in my letter to the' Wauwanui "Chronicle" that I am not open to controversial adjustment of the views I therein expressed. I regret that you *did pot accurately quote from my letter- ' I Jhink it inadvisable to allow myself 'to- be drawn into private correspondence with one holding the" judical office that you 'do; feeling sure that such a course would lead to embarrassment on my part, and perhaps indignity on yours. Your Committee has the newspapers available for' your purposes, and ia of course at liberty to enter , the lists of public correspondence. The . supplementary discussions of private .correspondence are distasteful to me, and are ' too distracting for so busy a man as I am. " It seems to me that the Magistrate who- is Chairman' of the Licensing Committee has no functions or powers differing from , those of ' any other member' of the Cbmmitten, with il\e sole exception of his duty to tyrant or refuse certificates of fitness' to applicants for licenses. I c'dririot conceive any Magistrate who is such a Chairman being rightly capable of any but a public < ict. His functions, with the exception above mentioned are alive only at a statutory sitting of the Licensing Committee ■for public purposes. In declining* private correspondence with, you, I am adoptingthe course I would follow should any member of the Licensing Committee write to me privately. — Tours faithfully, , ALEXANDER HATRICK.