BRITISH COMPENSATION SYSTEM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 5

BRITISH COMPENSATION SYSTEM.

y' ln■ .'Britain the compensation -fund is raised- by .alovy. on the"trade , ;itself, and: Quarter";.Spssions;may, if.'iiecpssary.-.bor-: .row bn.the security of ..the.-compensation ■fund ;for.tho purpose of > paying '.compensation to;' the;.owners of .extinguished' licenses;- :'vv; ':■■■:'■ : V- •';■'■■ '.-• .•■'■:'

~ /rhis'Jprinciple of paying compensation was partly Abased'on the- report .of the Peel: Commission, : consistingi of eight presentatives of ; the liquor-trado, eight ■representatives 'oi, the temperanco party, . and, .eight, neutrals,, presided ■•'over by Lord .Peel. ■ The majority -report; (signed by eight liquor representatives, seven neu- • tfals, : ' and. one. temperance. man) ; recominonded that compensation be.paid equal to : "fair'seUing.yalue," the fund to be raised , from the' trade ''itself.'.'.The minority, report (signed' by eight temperance, men and,one neutral) recommended that whilo from;' the jppint.'of' view• of : strict ' justiceJn'o:,'plaim-:to \ compensation' can be urged,:. there ■ are •;' other S considerations which mate it desirable 1 that some amount of , comppiisation ll should rbe given;' that a time.limit should be introduced.in the . compensation scheme , ;: that ■ the,' , maximum compensation payable should be. seven years' rpurchase. of; H the..annual, rateable value;_ -.that the compensation fund should be raised -by;,'an. - annual- ; license-rental levied on: the annual rateable value of the surviving!, house.'for a period of-seven, years."i:.'J;.; ■. : -i; [ - - : !;-,-"' ■'- ;• • :

..'The licensing ~Act of'l9o4,.partly the. Tosult of the Peel Commission,';. provides that 'the'amount- of-compehsatton to be paid in cases of non-renewal-is to be the idifference -between the value of the pre-. mises . "'as .'.' licensed ■~ - premises ■ > and their■■:; 'value ~'; as. ;,unlicensed•;"' .premises ;' but;. the value'■'of 'the' premises as licensed premises is,'to be taken at the value immediately before the : passing of the Act. , .! v.Where 'there .is . disagreement as.to -the amount 1 of compensation, on this : basis,' the: decision" is .to 'be left : to the Inland Revenue, .Commissioners.- ■ • :

■ :The : licensing 'statistics for 1908:' reveal the-fact.; that •, there was ,a ' decrease in both;.on. and. off licenses, 'decreases inconvictions for, drunkenness, ■'■ increase in cost of: compensation, increase in regis-tered-'clnbs; ■■ "\ ■ ■■■■■,''■' ■■ ""-'■'•"■ r'- ""■'• '; .'.■'■ Here-are' the''figures for :on and off .licenses for' the three:years 1908, 1907, 'aridi 1906:'''.'..'-"Ai" ■'■■'■ -' - •■'•:•"■ ', ) : . ■.'■■•■■ . ■ Licenses."'';' :,'"..- 1908. ' 1907■ 1906' On:, licenses: number 95,517 ; 97,55-1 98,894 Decreased; ....;.':;.:;.....:,■ ,2,037 1,340 . 58i ■Per.;lo,ooo:pppul'fnV 27.02 27.92' 28.63 Off licenses:'number 24,921 25,143 25,281 Decrease ■-....;.-...'...;.. 219 ■ 138'. 124 Per. 10,000 popul'fn '7.05 7.19 7.32