“COMPENSATION” IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 693, 18 June 1903, Page 21

“COMPENSATION” IN ENGLAND.

The Birmingham Brewers’ Association, .at a meeting held last month, decided to withdraw from the scheme of license surrender, which has been carried out in conjunction with the magistrates. The resolution sets forth that the members “ are unanimously of opinion that the views recently expressed by Mr Arthur Chamberlain on the Licensing Question are directly opposed to the principles of equity and justice ; that the surrender scheme as expounded by him offers no final solution of the licensing difficulty, and, therefore, they now feel compelled to do all in their power to secure Parliamentary protection.” Mr Lawson Walton has evolved a compensation scheme which, while it may tend to get over the insurance problem (says the London Trade organ), still has the wrongful element of robbing the Peters of the Trade in order to pay the Pauls. The' idea is that the wrongful cancellation of licenses shall only be done once in every seven years, and then only as regards a given proportion, fixity of tenure for each \ term of seven years being given to those that are left. . Thus, if one-tenth of the ■existing licenses were extinguished after seven years, each licensee during the term would have to contribute to a common fund one-seventieth of the value of his license. For the second seven years we should have nine licenses where there were originally ten, so each licensee would be mulcted at the rate of one-sixty-third per annum. The third term would increase the yearly contribution to one-fifty-seventh, the fourth to one-fiftieth, and so on, rising each term, until we should arrive at the reductio ad absurdum of the one man left providing his own compensation ! And all the while the wronged Trade, robbed for what the advocates' for reduction call a public benefit, would have to way of a private wrong !

'Owing to the adverse reports presented by Constable McGilp and Dr. Magill (there is a curious similarity in the names) the Waikato Licensing Committee have postponed consideration of the applications for renewal of the Cambridge hotel licenses pending inspection. No fault is found with the conduct of the •houses, though there is the usual expression of suspicion, but the buildings are declared to be old, worm-eaten, and Otherwise unsatisfactory. From personal knowledge we are convinced that the complaints are much exaggerated, and we would again point out how unfair it is to ■expect that owners of licensed property should spend large sums of money until the question of compensation has been settled in an honest and equitable way. • * * Mr A. A. Stewart, who hay resumed the proprietorship of that favourite hostelry, the Windsor Castle, in Parnell, has already effected many changesi that will be appreciated by the patrons of the bouse.. Mr Stewart knows the trade as well as most people, having got a good grounding ■ under h>s -father, who is very favourably remembered as licensee of the Thames ... Hotel. .„■ . ’ . ' .; :. ■ ' ' • .