LICENSING COMMITTEES OR MAGISTRATES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10976, 16 June 1903, Page 4

LICENSING COMMITTEES OR MAGISTRATES.

iKTKBvnswED at Christchurch with .reference to jtJic , much-debated and all-absorb-; ing question of the , proposed licensing-, legislation; the Premier explained that the proposal to substitute Magistrates" foT-tho' present Licensing Committees, -.wa^^pj^bo, allowed to in any way f ftfloH' <ras ekisfttig Control of the traffic by "the "poojSlc." "The" duties oi the ' : Sftfgi&trate's," litf said, * •woitild 1 .' .have to bo specially 'defined by 'the statute, and not of a discrdtlolnary nature. There hftist bo 310 'btfinwiiig 1 of tlio M'awi'sfcratoa into, conflict with public opinion. For instance, in the ease of a reduction, vbte, committees at present might, under the existing law, reduce .at discretion ' anything from 10 to 23 per cent, of the houses affected by a' reduction vote. With a Magistrate sitiing as a Licensing" Bench' the number would, have to bo arbitrarily, fixed by the Act. With regard, to the abolition of barmaids and the quality of counter luuchos, the Government did >nol purpose embodying these, and similar,subjects in a policy measure*. .It scctnod to hinr immaterial whether a public ..ui bo!

dofvn. bread and cheese or German sausage -for .his customers. Anyway, he was not going to make i\ State question of it. The ffo'use might, if it so choose, embody some of these minor points in the Government's measure when it came up for consideration, but it would not be' loaded with them in the first instance. Commenting on the Premier's assurances, the Lyttelton Times thinks they ""ought to allay any alarm that ir.ay have been occasioned by the announcement of his intention to substitute

Magistrates for committees in the-adminis-tration .of the licencing, law. The change so far from weakening the popular control of 'the liquor traffic- woiild actually strengthen it. J In the* case of the 1 reduction vote, tbru^stanpq',', Inum.ljerVor1 num.ljerVor houses to be closedv'inaifoad/ofi'ib'ejngpilet't,' to the discieti6ii ( of"the''Gp|iiirii<Ji!fe/^onld bp definitely acci'd ) ed''o'y"ihc' yole 'iif ;^he electors. '.The lqca|, Q»tion i(j poli" if wM finai^ determine the qu^tjion. .^T^ .duties, of.jthc Magistratos, as ..-My., Sji»d;dou...*'x-, plained, ' would sped{flcAll'y'"Jel6finednlj.y statute, and thoxe would be no daagcr' 'of s the Magistrates themselves conling into conflict with- public opinion. Under .the pregent arrangement Conimittees aye elected pledged to the maximum or the minimum reduction, without' any .regard to the requirements of .tlie. districts, and tho publicans or- Prohibitionists, as the case may be, very often have good grounds for .complaint. Whether Committees or Magistrates are entrusted with > the administration of the law they ought to approach , their duties in a judicial , spirit, and without any of the bias of which w.c have had two or three rather unfortunate examples during the past few days. This is practicaly impossible , with, a Committee elected under the 'present system, -which .encourages a renewal' of the fight ' at the local option poll at the .licensing election, and results in nine-rtenths c-f the members' being pledged to one party of extremists J or tho other." If the extent of the reduction were decided at the time of the local option poll the' principal bone of cqutpn1 tion would be removed, • and there would > be little need, even- from the Prohibitionists' point of viciv, for the expense 1 arid wOTry ancf irritation of a' lidensing election. We should only stipulate; that the. 'reduction should be fixed at; the present maximum, 25 per cent of- ,the .licensed "houses in ; thc district, and with -this, _ c.on,ceded we should confidently leave tite's,c- % lection- of the houses to tbo Stipcndia^ ■Magistrate.'" Wo -doubt whether the Premier's explanation will, as - the Times« sug-gests-it'should, allay the feeling, that t an attempt is being niadc.-.to take. the power out of the hands of the people, and if we may judge by what the Eev F. W. Isitt says, any alteration as suggested by Mr Soddon will be,, strenuously opposed. We do not- think/ as •we have previously said. , that the Government Will go" the length of eixihodjrmjy tlio suggestion ill the pro,posed amending Bill ; tjiat will be left for private members' to introduce, as Mr geddon has no do'sirb to jeopardise*' 'his position by attempting to force what would be regarded by a section of his i sup- , , porters as an iinpopular^move. > .