THRUSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1884 The Licensing Act

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 69, 20 November 1884, Page 2

THRUSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1884 The Licensing Act

At the termination of a case heard in the E.M. Court here yesterday, and reported in our issue to-day, where the police prosecuted a member of the firm of Wollebman and Hutchinson for supplying ale to a prohibited person named Rowley, the chairman of the Bench, Mr Macarthur, made some very pertinent remarks. Id speaking of the plea set up in the defence, that defendant was ignorant of the person to whom he sold the beer being a prohibited person under the Licensing Act, the Chairman said it was the duty of every person licensed to sell spirituous or fermented liquors, to make themselves acquainted with the names and addresses of all prohibited persons, and thus endeavor to assist the law. We heartily agree with the Chairman. It is a notorious fact that, notwithstanding all the terrors which surround private individuals as well as authorised vendors of intoxicating liquors, breaches of that section of the Licensing Act, which was specially passed for the protection of drunkards against themselves, are too frequent. No sooner does a court grant a prohibition order against some unhappy dipsomaniac than he appears to spring into fame, and become an object of sympathy. Not sympathy of a proper kind which would help to lead the poor wretch back into the paths of sobriety and decency, but the sympathy of " a fellow feeling making us wondrous kind," which prompts men to give from mistaken kindness that which makes them amenable to the law, and does a direct injury to the recipient. Thus it is that the only notorious drunkards we have in the Borough are each under the prohibitive clause of the Act. Theße men appear in public places and offend public decency by their obnoxious presence, yet the police appear to be practically unable to stay the evil. The efforts they have made in the past are certainly very creditable, but the influences which worked so strongly against their securing convictions, where they have made the attempt, have been entirely beyond control. We are quite satisfied that unless both public and the, Bench supports the police in these and similar cases where the common good is at stake, this evil will remain an offensive blot on the fair fame of Feilding that will become more difficult to remove day by day.