OHINEMURI LICENSES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13500, 9 October 1911, Page 3

OHINEMURI LICENSES.

DISCUSSED BY WAIHI MINERS’ UNION. (Special to the Now Zealand Times.) AUCKLAND, October 2. At a special meeting of ’ the Waihi Minors’ Union on Saturday evening a communication was received to the effect that, in the event of restoration of licenses beino- carried in Ohincrauri at the forthcoming local option poll, the retail profits derived from the sale of liquors in the local hotels would he devoted to the Union funds. Considerable- discussion followed, and finally it-was resolved unanimously, “That the Union take no action- in the matter.” It must bo pointed out (in face of published rumours to the-contrary) that the Waihi Union never made any proposal in the matter, nor did it discuss the question till Saturday evening last. The explanation of the above may be found in the following, clipped from, an Auckland exchange;—“lt is stated, says tbe Thames paper, that the miners of Waihi are anxious that restoration should be carried in the Ohinemnri district, and. with this end in view, are considering a scheme whereby, in the event of restoration, they are to have a direct interest, not only in the management, hut in (he profits of licensed houses. It is understood that if arrangements can be made with the owners of former licensed premises and with the wholesalers interested, it is the intention of the miners to take active and keen participation in the forthcoming local option poll. The rumour in question was mentioned to Mr Myers, and the member for Auckland East, who is in a good ■position to speak with some authority on the point, confirmed the report, in discussing the situation, Mr _ Myers agreed that this movement at Waihi had wfh,in it the germ of a great and radical cL'-ugc in the system of control of licensed l ouses. “It has yet to be seen how such a .sjstem as that proposed in Waihi will work.” he said. “But, in view of the large population of the Ohinemnri district, it is to be presumed in the event of restoration being carried on these lines that tbq profits that accrue as a result of the miners’ interest in the houses will result in the aiio'mentation of such funds as the sick and accident funds by large accretions from this source, and what is from the public point of view, I suppose, of greater importance,” added My Myers, “it v ill probably be the forerunner of a desire on the part of the people to experiment vmOi the question of municipal or State ownership of hotels. That is undoubtedly the tendency of the present movement at Waihi.”