LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 745, 18 February 1910, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

1 WHOLESALE LICENSES IN THE, .•;,...-. - -KING COUNTRY, v ,r : : ' Sir,—As a 'deal of misapprchon-: sion appears'to exist regarding thegranting of wholesale licenses in tho' sb ; called King. Country by-'the Licensing, 1 Committee,- 'and especially ' tho: action" of-.';' Mr. Eiizherbert, - Stipendiary '■ Magistrate and Chairman of the licensing 'Committee, I think that, in fairncssto that gentleman, a few-facts in connection with -the man- f nei"'in 'which '. tho. licenses -were issued should be given greater publipity than has been.- done. At the time the issue:ef ; the licenses were' made, knewn," ihere' was a great outburst of public.indignation right, throughout the Dominion,. and, :unfortu'iatejy, the':blame for. the wrong done 'was placed"upon Mr. .'Fitzhei'ber.t.' Tho Press Association wire that made' known the fact that" the- committee'had'decided to grant the application'.of, four-appli-cants for .wholesale licenses: made ,it ,ap-. pear that the licenses were' only i granted in. each'case on the'casting'vote.of'Mr. . Fitzherbcrt.' From the discussion' that .took place: in the ■ House'during the 'late fitting of Parliament', .it 1 - would that no, blame whatever-could -be ."adduced: against, Mr.. Eitzherbort,'; Mr. T; -E. Taylor,.:M.P..:fo'r:'Christchuroh North,: certainly attempted ,to .place..upon "Mr.' the -whole .'of '-the. blame, ! as" ■'the following,extract .from'his speech'on tho King- Country Licenses.Bill"'. (Hansard,,page 1317,".v01. N0.'32) will show i-+. ' "As a^matterVof..fact, the,.' Licensing ,Committce ' were -.far,' ;frorii v.Unariiraousl with ■' regard: to: tho, issue -of these' whole-' sale,licenses, .and;.they, came into :exisferieo ultimately as.lthe:,result', of/the' stijenuous'efforts of; the .Stipendiary Mag-' .istrate.'whd was chairman of,the Licensing -Bench "fdr' ; 'that, district.-" "' '' ... ,

. Mr.'. l Okey l ,M.P.. forTaraiiaki, felt that a great injustice'was being done: to the magistrate in,question; and.in a speech following that delivered Mr.- Taylor -placed a very'- different .-set of f acts-be-fore the. House .(page'l3lS of. same Ha& sard). 'Tho ■'. f olld.wing. is, an' extract from' Mr; • Okey's'. speech :— '.:'.'.:/; '■;■■'<; ■'■■' v.,: . ■ "There "isf-a'riother •matter'that ; I, wish. : to,refer to.* It -has been alleged'-by ; >'thV member'".;•'for;'' Chrisfchnrchv North 'that;-in corinectiori', with s 'thegranting ,: of these licenses, '.the 'magistrate itook«certain aotion -which was'not:-i.in ■ keeping with: the ppsitionhe there.' appears to: be a', misconception as to. -what was dons' 'by th6'"magistrate- oh the' occasion, and I wish, to "state'-the facts', of the "case. WTho'-(-niagistrate/'by'■. statute, -"is the'.'chairniari of,the: Egmont' Licensing: Committee.'• -,I' hold 'no'brief for-this gentleman;' nor"have I'any;sym-' pathy ■; witt. those'. who 'granted the' li- : oenses.'but; as niember for.the district;'l; would:not:be doing my. duty if'l allo.Wed: the nctib'nvpf a'.niaii ; who,. owing, .tii'.'his! position,' haa-no .'chance of replying, to: be vcondeinned.'without plaoirig '■ the true• facts/bh record.':. The'Egniorit Licensing,, Conimitlee I consists .of five elected .members., and. .the: Stipendiary' Magistrate, who" ■is, .':according''to law, :chairman "of. ] '.the-. Committee. There were' ten: applicants, for wholesale licenses' before, tho .commit-; tee. -One member; moved, that' no"licenses, be'granted. ': Tho: Magistrate pointed 'out' that they had no right to take theriv in globe—-that they must be ; considered sep-; arately." However, - the motion was sec-. . Onded;; and pressed -. to -a' division;; 'and three of itheso. 'members'-voted: that"' I'no'licenses -be 'granted, raid: the other .'■' two" elected members aiid-the'-Magistra'tevoted, ■ against the -motion ,\.therefore, I ', the Magis 1 -,, tra'te .ha'd'.tO; give" his .casting-vote.;so .as to.'gbt-the'committee' t6'.;comp!y-.w.ithlthe : , law,"'as' would: have, put-i'the :commi.ttdd,. 'a:-mandamus: issued-against- them; to;;cojhpeli them'-to.' adt- : !acc6rdirig: : to'' law;' (: The'; applications we're four were granted,', three 'elected voting in" faVonr. "arid"; two 'against,:' the Stipendiary' Magistrate, riot: voting,'; Per.-,', sdnally, I am. against v the.'granting ';:. of these 'licenses,': but'. I/felt'.'if my duty!;; to ..take'_this:op'pprturiity.of putting ■f)ie,,)HJe' position as'to'tho''granting/,'of'the''license's' before/th'e; Housel" j ':/;,.": : " ; _• The popular', impression/at .that';Mr.;'Eitzherber't'.was.! solely toolamej for.Jthe.issiio'i/df, but' : thespeech,,'of ."Mr. '.Olccy .'shows, beyond ■'■,; all] question of Hoiibi:''that''Mr.' Eitzherbert simply did his refrained altogether from' voting ; when.'lt" came; to a ; ques:! tion-of ;grant,ing£:the:iicense9;,;'and ! dimplyacted; when';it; was riecessarf ■: so' to'.l do 1 -to'■ prevent rthd.jcoriimilted from'performing' ah illegal' act... ;In fairness,-to' Mr. Eit?-' herbort,, I think :it is only, right that i as" much publicity. 1 as should ' ; .be: ;given to .;,the.,utterances ' of. Mr.'Okdy,': more,, especially... as -so :mnch blame":;liasbeen, cast; upon 'the. former,'gentleman-i/far ' th6;action';:'of .the.'.commitiee in!grantirigi' .these.WTetched:':licenses.rrl'am,:eto.;" ,: 'C' l / 1 i'.,4.ft: .-;,;v:-;; : ;::'W.":;v' moderlteV;';' -i February.'l 6.'"" .l,;iy''J-J\(^",

I N FOR M ATION SOU.GHT RE CANADA,' i ON ITEp"sf % .'■'■ Sir,'—l''should -bo- glad 'of- : a' little information ".from. - .any ' - of '-'- your /.travelled readers;; disposed -.' to ;v "give i'.'it, -.■■" of;' the methods adopted''in■•'.Canada- and'the United states"in.'respect to entry r into' those■'lands. ■; I' 'refer '••■ particularly to labonr%;rules,;and-"• regulations, .etc.V.as. I ani.thirikiiig.oftaking a trip (perhaps'an' extended one), .to those' .parts.'-' 1 of the 'world. -Any "special hints, advice,'-br-'iri-formation,' etc:, relative to ..this subject' : woiild therefore .be. heartily- welcomed-' by me, : .and,: fprrthat-: matter,', should,--1' am ; sure,/'-prove '.not- uninteresting reading/to ; thov.major-.portion of ..The SoMiHiotfs : intbllectual ; ,readers. : :.Of.course, !l,i am-'not-:uriniindful .pf-ithe..-/severe'■"winters'.'ex-perienced'in Canada, but I presunieithat if'one, left-hero. at a'; certain, time .he would meet a more propitious ."meteorological, state than that, ;, and would: also,,'by 'tlie:.w'ay,- find- a, better- ;labour .'market' th'an'in /lead of winter. Any information'in ..this, direction-1 ;shall-be glad; to be' 1 furnished with. Thanking you ;in'anticipation,—l' am,., etc.;,- v. ■■■'A'.-1.-'\ .:'■.•:,

- x,:< ;>:> : ';v- :! ; ;: ,\-.: -'■'' ; pen-point. Wellington,^February-11; 1910; :";•- ■'}:■";

: ; NEGLECTED'NATiyE'BiRDr:.^ ; • Sir,—ln, your,.local -and. general.'column - this irioruirig,,..you have :.a- note;- on,.the; suppting ,:.s'eason -aridyacdimatis'ation,,matjters '.generally'. occurs ::-,"ir;. the .native lark,., or '.pipit".,.... its•sins;',is placpdloutside'the pale,of human: sympathy." .", Some.' time. ago - tho'. Canteribiiry .Philosophical. Institute 'set; up ',a :sub-K>ommitt6b, 'of.i.wliich.-:! .was :one,vto. ■go into' the'.question''of native; bird-pro-tection, and the fact, that the pipit.was -not'protectod ..was- rioted... .Considerable 'discussicn.'tpbk' place, at'.the -titrio ori 'the question.'/'arid the reason .we could iinagino'.'fof. the'-"omission"of-, this -bird from the list was' that.'itihad. been en-' tirely overlopked. -NewV/bbweve'r,' 'we-'aro' told that it "is "f or "its sins." . I should ;be :Very interested' 'to. know .".with.-what-sins/this little':bird''is':.c'r'edited,',for l my: opinion vhas .always been -that.it is "one ■of the'most, useful'of'piir native species! Its;'food consists, almost,' if, not,quite, entirely •of "insects',', grribs,-' and caterpillars,'and it prefers native grass'country ;to-'ariy ; "other.for a home," Really, I cannot' think:' of "anything tho' pipit, does ;that- could reasonably, be described as a ■"sin. ■ ."-.'-..•:-.. ;"'_',':-',-..'':•■ -.-.. v.';.;;"./;,. ': ■'■ Fifteen' years ago''.these' pipits'■ were quite -plontiful in Canterbury," and were always ■ to. be .met...with .when"one was ■driving ■ along any; of. the'-.couritry rbads. : Several of them ;woUld ■ sit in the road I flicking - their, tails.' until: the horse "was almost on ..them'. .Then',off.'.'they" wouldi go;: running'alqng.at'a'/quite .incredible I speed,- their -legs: almost 'invisible owing J to tho. rapidity of their motion..: As. the i trap' ovortook them ,they would fly •again, "having;aerial, .fights. :'with -. one anothor ,'th6''way„ only,'to ,'settle in the,road: and repeat,tho same perform-'-ance. '/'■''■ ■■-:■ :'..:■ ■■•■ ' •

■ 10-day .thoy.aro almost gone, 'havinebcon. replaced, as is;'the'.case: with so many of, our-'native birds' by tho imported article,' in thiq. instance, tho skylark. Tho Philosophical .Committee I referred to, sent .-in; a recommendation to the- effect that .the pipit;.bo protected. It,, however, tt is kopt. out of; the pro-' tectcd,,list. "for..-.its sins," and not, as we supposed, merely overlooked, I should as.l'hnvo.said.fliko to know what thbso sins are, that wo : may ; weigh them in tho balance with the decided good the bird does, and tho, fact; that', it is so ranidlv beccining. scarce,—l anv etc.,, :' •■ ;.■-... '.. '•;'^''';-;•';•, BDGAEF. : STEAD.; : , Chiutchniji/'Ebbru^