The Licensed Victuallers

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 509, 26 April 1900, Page 18

The Licensed Victuallers

[NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. All subscriptions are payable in advance. A dis taunt of 2s 6d is allowed on all subscriptions paid ithin three months from date of order. The Sporting Review and Licensed iornAT.T.wßs’ Gazette has been appointed the Official Organ of the Trade. The subrcription to tne jke'w Zealand o±>orting Review and Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette is 15s per annum. It offers special facilities for advertising “ transfers ” and other official announcements, embracing as it does the extensive circulation of an already popular New Zealand and Australian sporting ournal. Any paragraphs of interest to the Trade, whether of simply local significance or otherwise, will be received and considered in our columns. Questions on legal points or other matters connected with the Trade will be paid careful attention to and answers given. Our readers throughout the colony and in Australia are requested to communicate with Bacchus," who will always be pleased to'offer them a medium through which the public may be reached.

THE BYE-ELECTION.

Although the election to-morrow, of a representative from Auckland to fill the

seat in Parliament rendered vacant by the death of the late Mr Crowther, is not a particularly important one, still there are some points to be borne in mind by members of the Trade that should influence them to give their solid support to the Government nominee. The comparative non-importance of the election consists in the fact that the Premier at the present time has a phenomenally large working majority, and the return of an Opposition or Government supporter would not alter his strong position in the least. He had a majority of thirty-two with the late Mr Crowther in the House, and if the choice of Auckland were Mr Hobbs he would be in exactly the same position as before. To speak of Mr Hobbs from a Trade and not a political point of view, could we depend upon him ? and if we could, would he be of any practical service to us ? At the last General Election he counted the support of both the temperance and the Trade party, with the result that not having clearly defined his attitude he fell between two stools, and lost his chance. There is an old Biblical saying which, in a way, applies to the gentleman in question, namely : “ Because thou art neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, will I spew thee out of my mouth.” The Trade does not want lukewarm supporters; it prefers to deal with honorable and straight-out antagonists, or men who will exert their ability to see that its hard-earned privileges are safeguarded, and that its just demands are acceded to. The absolute strength of the Trade, both wholesale and retail, as a political factor was proved at the recent conference in Wellington, and now that certain promises have been made by the Government it is both fair and politic that the nominee of that Government should be supported, more particularly when, as in the present case, I am led to believe (as there has been as yet no contradiction to. the assertion) that the Government nominee is a gentleman who has in the past done his utmost to further legislation calculated to do justice to the Trade, and has also endeavoured in every way to advance the interests of Auckland. The argument that is being made use of in favor of one of the liberal candidates is that he is for Auckland first, last, and always. It is only right to admit that in a way he has endeavoured to advance the interests of this city, but, still, we are not quite certain as to how he will shape in Parliament were he returned, and, further-

moie, we have no absolute guarantee of his attitude towards the Trade, and this point is an important one to us. There has been an unauthenticated rumor afloat that there is a possibility of his being the Premier’s selection, but I have grave doubts of there being any truth in it. The election will take place tomorrow, and there is no time for wavering on the question of whom our allegiance will be given to. If our votes are scattered or divided between the two liberal candidates, there is a chance of Mr Hobbs getting in, and although, as I said before, this election will have no effect on the strength of the Government, it may effect the retail trade in Auckland, as we suffer under disabilities here that are not experienced down South, and we want members to represent us who will bring these grievances forward prominently when the time comes for amending the Liquor Act. In an article of this character it is hardly worth while mentioning the name of Mr Richardson, as it is not reasonable to suppose for a moment that any rational voter takes him seriously, or imagines that he has a hope of election. In conclusion, I would strongly advise members of the Trade to support in a body the Government nominee, whom, there is very little reason to doubt, is Mr J. J. Holland.