PUBLIC MEETING.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 587, 28 February 1882, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting was held in the back part of the Oddfellows' Hall, on Friday evening, Mr Wiggins in the chair. There was a large attendance. The Chairman explained the object of the meeting was io hear the views of candidates for the post of Licensing Committeeinen for the Borough, lie called upon Mr Tosswill, as being one of the former Licensing Commissioners, to lirst address the meeting.

Mr Toswill said : I have not much to say. I hear it has been repeated outside that I am one w'.io only sides with the Good Templars. This is incorrect and I declare that I. am riot wedded to any party, 1 was first asked to come forward by the publicans' side and I said L was quite willing, but it must be understood that I would not be elected as the publicans' representative, and I mnde the same answer to the Good Templars. If elected I will strive to do justice to all. not to one (Applause). There are large powers vested in the Licensing Committee and I think they should be composed of moderate men, who while lighting against drunkenness and seeing houses properly conducted, will inflict no hardships on publicans or any other hoiiy. The 80th Clause of the Act gives the committee power to refuse a renewal of license if it tlmll be proved the license is liable to be forfeited under the provisions of the Act. The provisions contained in Clause 81 i

are:—(l) That the applicant is of bad fame and character, or of drunken habits ; or (2) That the premises in question are not maintained at the required standard, or are out of repair, ro that 1 he rooms are insufficiently furnished for public accommodation, or that the place of convenience ia not kept in a clean find wholesome state ; or (3) That the house is conducted in an improper manner, and drunkenness permitted therein ;or (4) That any of the conditions upon which the license was granted have not been satisfactorily fulfilled ;or (5) That the licensing thereof is not required in the neighborhood, or that the quiet of the place in which such premises are situated will be disturbed if a license is granted." Now, the sth Clause does appear to me a a great hardship. As an old Licensing Commissioner I know that before license* were granted, it was insisted that really good substantial premises should be erected. People have been induced to spend a great deal, perhaps all their capital, in this way, and then it is taken a>vay because not required in the neighborhood. I for one would not be prepared to sacrifice a man's property on such grounds. It is not clear that the Committee has power of compensation and I think it will not be clear till the point is raised in a court of Law. These objections are left by the law entirely in the hands of the Licensing Committee, but so long as houses are well and properly kept I shall be disinclined to interfere. It has been urged that five licensed houses are too many for Akaroa and perhaps they are, but it was a mistake and is done, and I for one would not advocate sacrificing any man's property (Hear hear). The next question is that regarding the closing at 10 p.m. I myself think it would have been better to let the hour remain 11 as before. Ido not think that in the face of Clause 37th I could advocate granting a a midnight license. I bike it the Act says houses are only to be opened till 12 for the public convenience and I do not see that the public here will be specially benefited. At any rate I am of opinion that if it were given to one it should be given to all and I think it better to give it to none. No one has a greater dislke to drunkenness than I have and in a place like this it should specially be put down as persons leaving either by road or water in an intoxicated state are in great danger. lam happy to state there is less drunkenness here than in the past, and I shall be glad to see the Act carried out, but you must remember this does not rest with the Licensing Committee alone. The public should complain of any improperly conducted house, but, my experience is that the only complaints against licensed houses come from the police. Ido not think you can expect Licensing Commissioners to go about the public houses seeing if they are properly conducted? The Good Templars undoubtedly have done much good and I think would do more if they did not attempt so much. Another point is, the quality of the liquor sold. As fur as I can judge the spirits sold in Akaroa are good, but in some places they are very bad. I hope that the Licensing Committee will get samples, if complaints are made, and have them analyzed, and have the provisions of the Act properly carried out (Applause). 1 can only say in conclusion that J come forward as the representative of no party, but as one prepared to endeavour to carry out what is fair and right between man and man (Applause).

In answer to a question, Mr Tosswill said he would oppose the granting oL' another license in Akaroa. Mr G. Armstrong, who was well received, briefly addressed the meeting. Though r.. Good Templar lie was strongly opposed to ;my oppression, He lived close to a licensed house and had m complaint to make. ]Je should like to see Sunday grog-s-eiling put a stop to, and was against any 12 o'clock licenses beinggranted. Mr Henning thought theie were too many hotels in Akaroa altogether. Five in a quarter of a mile were far too many. They all knew the license of the fifth hotel had been refused year after year, but had at las' been granted, lie thought two of the houses could he done away with ; it would be for the committee to say which. Want of compensation was no hardship when no expeifse had been gone to for extra accommodation or anything else, except feeing a lawyer to get the license. He believed in closing at 10 p.m., eleven was too late. The other night he had seen a wife and daughter waiting till eleven to drag homo a husband and father. The committee would have to look after the police ami see they did their duty. Mr Tosswill hail said t l ic commissioners could not be expected to see the hotels themselves, but they should see there was no laxity on the part of the police. He thought they should elect men living in the place, as outsiders were subject to no annoyance from the hotels, and did not care.—(Hear, hear.) Mr Armstrong asked if Mr Henning thought doing away with two of the houses would lessen drunkenesss ? Mr Henning thought it would, and instanced a case of some men living at Le Uon's, who were going out of town and stopping at the different hotels they passed, and spending he believed about £100. If the houses had not been there they would have gone straight home and the money would have been saved to their wives and children. The liev. Mr Ktocker said : He had little to say after Mr Tbsswill'S address. As to the number of houses, he did not think the committee should go in with the idea of doing away witli them. The law provided that if publicans' were convicted of a certain number of offences against the act their licenses should be cancelled. The law was quite strict enough, and he thought their duly was to administer it with justice and not jump upon any one. (Applause.) He was in favor of closing the houses at 10 p.m., and would not be prepared to grant a new license. It had been argued that by free liquor traffic drunkenness wonid be lessened, but this had been tried in a large l.own in England and failed, for the competition was so great that to get a living publicans had used unfair means to induce people to drink, and hud provided very inferior

ficconimoiiation. When n. man gol a #ood living from a house lie was more likely to conduct it well, and therefore too many licenses should not be granted. (Applause.) Air S. Watkins said : Adulteration had been spoken of, but lie thought that publicans should be forced to give a fair moneys worth. He had seen wretched little beer glasses that held hardly anything, used. He believed it would do a .

man less harm to get a fair quantity at once than to have a number of little drops

and doses.

Mr Westenra eaid : Some of the subjects discussed were quite new to him, as at present he knew little of the Act. If elected, however, he was prepared to go in with his hands free, to endeavor to do justice both to the public and the publicans. (Hear, hear.) The hotels were intended for a convenience to the public, and should be forced to become so. He believed in the early closing, and as to the number of houses licensed, whilst he was sitting on the Committee he should not advise shutting up any one of them, unless there was something against it.

The Chairman said all who had addressed them were prepared to oppose new licenses being granted. He thought they should be thankful to such men for coming forward. The candidates who had addressed them were also in favor of closing the houses at 10 p.m. He thought they thoroughly merited their support. (Applause.)

Votes of thanks to the candidates and the chair closed a very orderly meeting.