The Licensing Committee In Christchurch.

White Ribbon, Volume 9, Issue 97, 1 June 1903, Page 8

The Licensing Committee In Christchurch.

The supineness which made the last election of the Christchurch Licensing Committee a “ walk over ” for the liquor party must have been painfully brought home to the electors on considering the work of that Committee, when it sat on June 3rd Forty-two licenses for the city were granted without discussion ; two hotels reported by the Inspector as having rough bars, and being centres of disturbance, fre* (punted by criminals and prostitutes, were subjected to discussion, after which one was granted a license ; the c aim of the other (ow ned by a brewing firm, by the way,) was adjourned, but the license has since been granted.

The bias of the Committee was plainly shown in its reception of Mr H. G. LU, M.H.R., who presented a petition, signed by 746 citizens, praying that the hour of closing should be al ten dto 10 p.m. 1 hough it was shown th-t almost all passenger trains reach Cliristc hurcli long l>efore 10 o'clock, and that the majority of decent theatre* goeis return at once to their homes for tufper, and though the inspector deposed that the change to 10 o'clock would make the woik of the police much easier, the Committee held to its first resolution, and after dismissing the representations of M.H.R , inspector of police, the seven hundred and forty-six petitioners, their own solitary temperance coil-ague, Mr Hlackhurne, as well as Commissioner Tunbridge's report, with exceeding scant ceremony, they at once granted closing at 11 p.m., and every minor concession applied for by the trade.

We cannot but feel a pang of envy on contrasting this wholesale band* over to the liquor party in Christchurch with the vigorous action of the

Licensing Committee now sitting in Dunedin. Dun* dm earned reduction

last November, and saw to it that a j committee pledged to do the will of the people was returned later on. The final results of its delih .rations are not out at this tim% hut the general effet up to date of writing iniy be liest JU'l* »*d by these extracts from an editonal in the O/qp’ Deuiy rimes : “ With the bald pronouncement made by the Dunedin Licensing Committee, the era of No License may be said to have fairly commenced, for, inter

aha, the committee announces that it has no intention to require or encourage the further exp nditure of capital on hotel properties, which already seems to foreshadow the sweeping away of all licenses in the near future. . . . It is safe to say that the Dunedin Licensing Committee's manifesto will be viewed with favour by the large majority of the public. It was elected up hi certain pledges, chief amongst which were the full 25 per cent reduction allowed by the Act, and the insisting upon 10 o’clev k closing ; and in order to artive at the wisest and !>est decision, the memlieis of the Committee have personally inspected all the hotels within their licensing district. Of the seven

hotels whose license* have already been

refused, five were situated in out lying districts, which seems to indicate the determination of the Committee to

make the prohibition area as extensive as possible, and to confine the licensed houses within certain well defined limits. There are still six liev ses to tie refused, and othtr things being equal, the Committee would seem to have agreed to give preference to those licensees who will give an undertaking to confine the public sale of liquor to only one bar, and who set their face against the employment of such inducements to drinking as free counter lunches and harmai is."

This is a plain official statement ot plain hard facts, but it is good reading ; and we trust that three years hence Christchurch may be on a similar line of action. J. McK.