The Feilding Star. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 1884. The Licensing Committee

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 17, 12 February 1884, Page 2

The Feilding Star. TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 1884. The Licensing Committee

«. As a good deal of interest is being taken in the election of the next Licensing Committee, "we make the following precis of the principal clauses of the Act, relating to the disqualifications of intending candidates ; "No person shall be qualified to be elected, or to act as a member of a Licensing Committee, who is a brewer, wine or spirit merchant, or importer or a dealer in liquors, or who acts as agent or auctioneer for such person, or who is interested in the business of such ; or in the house or building, as mortgagee or otherwise; or who has within four years been a bankrupt or insolvent, and has paid a less dividend than ten shillings in the pound on his debts ; or who holds a paid office under the Government of the Colony, or under the Council of any County or Borough. Any person so disqualified acting or sitting shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds for eveiy such offence." A valued correspondent, in another column, urges on the Good Templars and all persons of similar views and opinions to mass together and put on the Committee as many members as possible holding similar views. We agree with the writer that this section of the community have a perfect right to be represented on the Committee, but we would be sorry to see them in an overwhelming majority, inasmuch as no good result could possibly follow from such an event. It is a singular thing that in every district or town where there has been a contest, the Good Templar candidates have been almost invariably defeated. Whether this arises from apathy on one side, and energy on the other, we are not prepared to say. So far as the licensed houses of this Borough and district are concerned, we do not believe there are any complaints, either by the police or the travelling public, as to their general conduct. Any meddling by a new and officious committee, composed of persons in direct and unreasoniug antagonism to existing institutions, would raise up a strong feeling of sympathy, which would overthrow much of the valuable work done by the temperance bodies in the past.