The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 18.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 404, 18 June 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 18.

The new Licensing Bill is now before the House and the country. Although it involves questions which vitally concern ihe whole of the population, it is nevertheless true that the people at largo are strangely apathetic in the matter, and the only persons who appear to be bestirring themselves Avith a view to getting the measure modified to suit their views are those directly interested in promoting the sale of intoxicating liquors, viz., the publicans and wholesale dealers in beer and spirits. This apathy is to us both incomprehensible and inexcusable. It is well known that drunkenness is the fruitful source of innumerable evils. The very fact of our legislating on the management of the liquor traffic shows that it is generally admitted that this trade is one that requires to be especially looked after, in order to lessen some of the evils which flow from it. All this being admitted, it is clearly the duty of every well-wisher to the community in which we live to use whatever influence he possesses in such a manner as to secure a maximum of good for society at large. In the same connection it behoves all to watch very closely the measures advocated by those whose in-

terest lies avowedly in the direction of increasing the sale of liquor by every means in their power.

Starting, th.'ii, with the assumptions that any legislation on the subject should keep steadily in view the public weal, ignoring entirely all class interests— that anything which can be shown to have a tendency to increase the consumption of intoxicating liquors must be detrimental to the public welfare— and that the principle of interference with the traffic having been conceded, it becomes merely a matter of expediency how far such interference shall proceed, let us see what is proposed in the present Bill. The present system of Licensing Courts is to be perpetuated, except that the Courts are called Committees. These Committees are to consist of the Resident Magistrate and four persons appointed from time to time by the Governor. The essence oi the measure, however, lies in the following provision :—

" From the commencement of the Act no new publieans'licenses shall be granted until the ratepayers of the district shall have previously determined whether the number of publicans' licenses within the district may or may not be increased. A poll shall be taken as follows: Voting papers shall be printed, sotting forth the proposal and the words ' I vote that the number of publicans, licenses in the distiict may be increased,' and ' I vote that the number of publicans' licenses in the district may not be increased.' The voter shall erase one or other of the said lines. Each ratepayer shall have only one vote. If the majority of the votes that have been given are in favor of the number of publicans' licenses not being increased, then that shall be the determination."

From another portion of the Act we learn that this decision cannot be altered for three years. Now, this is a most important provision. Of course, an outcry will be raised as to its interference with liberty, a tyrannical majority, &c. But objectors appear to forget that the identical power proposed by this Bill to be given to the ratepayers at large is now actually possessed by the three or four gentlemen who in each district occupy seats on the Licensing Bench. Nor is this power absolutely a dead letter. At the late licensing meeting held in Christchurch, the Court at the outset announced its decision to grant no new licenses. Surely a power which may be exercised by a few Government nominees cannot be wrongly entrusted to the mass of the people who have the deepest possible personal interest in giving a right decision on the question. Practically, we believe it is considered that as the power is vested in the Commissioners it will never be exercised, but that when it reverts to those who have to pay taxes to keep drunkards in gaols and asylums, and rates to maintain the wives and families of the same unfortunates, it may become a stern reality. But if this provision remains in the Bill after it has run the gauntlet of discussion in Committee, it will be rendered practically nugatory unless another portion of the Bill is materially altered. We allude to the constitution of districts. The Bill provides that the present licensing districts are to remain until re-constructed by the Governor. This is a vital error, and will render the provision before alluded to entirely nugatory unless it is altered. The districts are ; as at present constituted, far too large. Take our own, for instance. Is it reasonable to expect people in Akaroa to vote as to the propriety of a public-house being opened in Pigeon Bay ? Or for Little River to express a similar opinion as to Okain's ? No ■ — the districts must be made small and compact, and it must not be left to the Government to constitute them except within well-defined limits. Besides facilitating the taking the sense of the people most interested, this system would have the effect of affording an opportunity for what a leading English review calls " experimental legislation," and which he specially recommends in connection with the regulation of the liquor traffic. For instance, one town might try the effect of limiting the number of licensed houses, and another tli&t of going in for an .almost unlimited number. Nnj, different quarters of the same city might try experiments of a similar nature. The advantage of this plan would be that we should have some palpable proof and example of the effect of the different systems. Besides this there would be an opportunity for persons of similar proclivities to settle together, and we do not see why temperance people, for instance, should not be able to form a " quarter " in every large city, whence they might hope in time to banish the facilities for drinking which exist in other places. By this means no possible hardship could be inflicted upon any portion of the community, as bibulous humanity will always be able to find places where to quench its thirst. Of the remaining provisions in the Bill, some are good, others are far from being improvements on the existing laws. But we must defer further notice of this measure till a future occasion.