HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2302, 9 November 1914, Page 8

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(Prom Our Own Correspondent.) •A mass meeting was 'held at the Petone Lyceum j-esterday , afternoon, under'the auspices of the Hutt NoLicense League, Councillor T. Townsend presiding. Mr; H. H. Cornish, M.A., in a stirring address, dealt with the question of revenue, and showed that a man would require to consume four gallons of beer to contribute one shilling to the revenue, adding that it would bo better for. an individual to save his manhood and pay tho shilling direct to the' Government,' and thus have a surplus in his pocket. The-Rev. J. Dawson also spokei stating that legislation had been passed 200 times to try and regulate the Trade, but it was still responsible for', over IIiOOO Court conviotions. After, urging the audience to see that their names were on the roll, Mr. Dawson concluded with an appeal to the electors to put an end toi the drink traffic by striking out.the top.line on both papers. Councillor T. Townsend, a member of tho' Hutt' Park Committee, made • reference'to the refusal of the committee to grant a lease to the Hutt Valley Trotting Club, because liquor might bo sold on the ground. Mr. Townsend stated that tho granting of a licenEO would have been an.increase of licenses in the district, and it was becoming a recognised principle not to allow the sale of alcoholic drinks on public playgrounds. The Petone Council had instructed its delegates to tho Hutt Park Committee, :by a 2 to 1 majority, to oppose the sale of liquor on the park, hence tho opposition' raised by tho Petone delegates. ' The speaker claimed thdt the Park Committee was the controlling body, and not the Licensing Committee,. who were not responsible for its conduct, and of which the chairman and any two members could grant a conditional license at any time. The Park Committee bad tried to meet the Trotting Club in everything but the sale of liquor. After dealing with the question of the various councils' subsidies to the park, Mr. Townsend stated that if he Btood for the nest council election, he would consider it more honourable : to' find himself at the bottom of the poll; sticking to his principles, 'than,at the top evading them.,