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Dunstan Times, Issue 419, 29 April 1870, Page 2

The movement made by the Dunedin Licensed Yicuallers’ Association, with reference to the proposed Ordinance to amend the *• Licensing Ordinance, 1865, and “ Amended Ordinance, 1866, is deserving of attention- of up-country retailers of spirituous liquors. There is no gainsaying the fact that the holders of general licenses are a very large and influential body, and, when we come to consider that theycontributeannually to the revenue —in the shape of licenses—the large sum of 34,089 Z. 45., they must bo deemed worthy of some consideration. The amount of capital invested in the business is some 200,5 whichdivided among the four hundred and one licensed hotels, leaves an average of about 5000 to each. The business of a licensed victualler is, of course, a profitable one. taking the original cost of the articles sold into consideration ; but, against this, he has to pro vide expensive accommodation faguests, costing more than the sum charged for it, the deficiency being being made up by the sale of liquors, while the publican has oftentimes to provide equally for families who consume neither spirits nor b er : nevertheless he makes them as wolcorae as those who do. His house is scarcely his own, as it can he entered upon at any time by the police, under whose surveilance he may be said to exist.' The system of bottle licenses, we will agree with Mr. Walters, the spokes man of the Deputation which waited upon his Honor presses very hard upon the holders of general license ; and, considering that they are so indiscriminately issued, the publican is deprived of a large portion of his legitimate profits. The Licensed Victuallers’ Association are fully alive to this fact, -tand urged the matter so strongly that they expressed themselves willing to pay an extra 51. per annum if bottlo licenses wera abolished. The Government having taken the holders of publicans’ licenses under their wing, jhy placing heavy restrictions upon their trade and taxing them heavily into the bargain, are bound in honor to protect them from the competition of unlicensed persons, or illicit, dealers Lottie licenses, in the majority of cases, are merely subterfuges for selling retail by the glass At the very best, it is unfair to issue them in towns, even wore the provisions of the license strictly adhered to, which is very seldom the case. The holder of a bottle license as a general rule, sells in smaller quantities. He considers himself privileged to do so, and to enter into the business of a publican, without being subject to any of the responsibilities or incouveu’ences attached to it. In country places, and more especially upon the goldfields, this is even more the case, and it a well-established fact that, in numbers of instances, holders of bottle licenses sell more spirits retail than their neighbors the holders of general licenses. It is high time that the country publicans took the matter up They are sufficiently numerous and influential to procure some mitigation of the evils complained of, and, what is more, rid ns to a considerable degree of the evils of sly-grog selling, which, unfortunately for us, is sapping at the very vitals of society. To slygrog selling may he attributed most of the drunkenness a”d crime upon the goldfields, and it is high time that some check was placed upon its pernicious influence.