THE BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. "The spirit of the times shall teach me speed." KING JOHN, ACT IV. SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1874.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 165, 4 April 1874, Page 2

THE BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. "The spirit of the times shall teach me speed." KING JOHN, ACT IV. SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1874.

The Annual Incensing Courts—undoi ’ the provisions of the New Licensing Act, 1873—for the Tauranga and Makotu districts will he held on the 21st instant, and for the districts of Opotiki and C ape Eunaway on the 6th and Sth of May respectively. In order to satisfy numerous enquiries regarding the requirements of one of the most important of the statutes passed last session, we publish to-day a brief summary of its provisions. The A ct as it now stands contains the celcbrafcod permissive clause, which gives two-thin Is of the adults of any district the power t o veto the granting any license. The othe ;r principal provisions in the Act are thos e vesting the granting of licenses iiU the Resident Magistrate and ; a Court composed of commissioners, ancU limiting the number of bars in respect or’ any one license to one. Under the head ol ’ alcoholicliquors are includedwine.ale,beerp eider, perry, and every description of distilled or fermented liquor of an intoxicating nature. .Licensed auctioneers, selling bona fide by auction, and chemists and druggists selling alcoholic liquors are excluded from the operation of the Act. The Governor is empowered to proclaim licensing districts wherever possible, making them identical and existing with municipal, road board, or school districts, and also to appoint Resident Magistrates and to nominate commissioners, holding office for two years, to form a Licensing Court. Any person dealing in, or interested in the sale of alcoholic liquors, or in the premises in which -such liquors - arosold or manufactured, is disqualified from sitting as a member of any Licensing

Court under a penalty of dB-50. The Resident Magistrate is to be chairman of the Court, or in his absence the commiasiouers are to elect a chairman for the time being, and the chairman is on all occasions to have an original and casting vote. The clerk of the Resident MaMs! trate’s Courtis also to act as clerk to the Licensing Bench. Licenses are to remain in force only until the 30th Juno next ensuing after the date of issue, and the licenses which may be granted are a wholesale license authorising the sale of alcoholic liquors in quantities of not lets than two gallons to any one person, and not for consumption on the premises; publicans’ licenses and packet licenses, authorising the sale by retail of alcoholic liquors to passengers on board steamers and other vessels during the actual passage. Every intending applicant for a bush and publican’s license is to give notice to the Clerk of the Resident Magistrate’s Court on or before the first Tuesday in March, describing at the same time the sign, situation, and nature of the house, the names of the landlord and occupier, and whether already licensed. Every such application must be accompanied with a certificate signed by ten householders to the effect that the applicant is a person of good fame and reputation, and a fife person to bo the holder of a license. Notice of application for wholesale and packet licenses is to be given in the way, but no recommendatory certificate is necessary, and municipalities may issue this class of license on the production of a certificate from the Licensing Court. On or before one week fi om the receipt of notices of application, the clerk of the court is to post up a list of the applicants, and the Resident Magistrate is to convene a meeting of the Licensing Court on the third Tuesday in April, or as soon thereafter as may be convenient. INotiee of the meeting, the names of applicants, and situation of houses are to be advertised at least thrice, and one month prior to the date fixed, and the date may be adjourned from time to time if necessary. Twothirds of the adult residents in the district may memorialise the Court against any particular application, but the memorial must be lodged with the clerk of the Licensing Court in the district seven clear days|before the meeting; and the signatures to the memorial are to be verified before the court upon oath by witnesses. The memorial must state the names of objectors, whether male or female, their age, occupation, date of signature, and place of residence. Any householdermay (having previously given seven days notice to the clerk of the court) appear before the court in person, and object to the granting of any license. The police are to attend court and report regarding houses. If the signatures to the memorial by two-thirds are found after examination to be genuine, the court is to refuse the license objected to, and in the case of unopposed application, or such

’as are opposed bj one or more householders, the court is to exercise its d'a cret>on.

We mentioned, some time ago, that a company was about being formed to utilize the immense sulphur deposits on White Island, known es Sulphur Island and also by its native name of Waikari. It baa since come to our knowledge that the company are at present few in number, and that the promoters purpose making use of the sulphur in the manufacture of acid, which can easily be shipped at a comparatively small cost. When it is considered that the wholesale price of sulphuric acid in Itngland is something like lid, and, in the colonies, at least lOd per ib, it will be perceived that there is a large margin of profit offered by the manufacture the article here, for the reason that sulphuric acid is an extremely dangerous commodity, which few ships care to carry, and which emigrants ships are forbidden to convey, and which consequently requires to pay a very heavy freight. Sulphuric acid is largely employed in the manufacture of sodawater, &c , and other of the useful arts. A large and constant demand exists for the article, and, consequently, the creation of a supply within twenty-four hours’ sail of Auckland cannot be other than a boon, not only to the province, but also to this colony and the Australasian colonies generally. We cannot do otherwise than congratulate colonists of New Zealand on this development of a new industry.

W.K hr.vo much pleasure in welcoming to Tanranga Sir G. V. Stewart, a gentleman recently arrived from the north of Ireland as Immigration i Agent under the auspices of the General Govern* ment of 3Sew Zealand. Sir Stewart was a passenger by the Slurray yesterday. His mission is to select land, in the Bay of Plenty district for . special settlement.

)ns evidence of our growing prosperity is to be fci >und in the fact that, on the last occasion, both tl m steamer Southern Cross and cutter Tincent Wi ero unable to take any sheep on board, ail their re; un being occupied by wheat grown in the di; strict. In former days it was not uncommon fo: ’ the trading vessels to leave the harbour foAt’.okland in ballast, in default of finding ref ’ caif, goes. The fact of regular traders ”a<-

shutting out cargoes is, therefore, a gratifying circumstance, illustrative of the growing importance of the place. ° **

Mr Kayiv, of the firm of Bennett and Kaye contractors for the erection of the Tauranga Government Buildings, arrived here yesterday Mr Kaye is evidently a business man, and we have no doubt but that the work will be pushed ahead forthwith. The contract time for completion is until the first of September next.