The Government Licensing Bill.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 29, 2 August 1895, Page 2

The Government Licensing Bill.

The Bill introduced by the Premier to amend to Alcoholic Liquors Sales Control Act is divided into two parts. Part 1., relating to the licensing poll, will not coint' iuf'.o operation until the day boftnx) the in-xt general election. T!it: iirst matter provided for is how | the poll is to be taken. Four questions ' are to submitted to electors, viz: — (1) Whether the number of licenses existing in the district is to continue ; ("2) Whe- j ther the number of licenses existing in the district is to be reduced ; (3) "Who- i ther no licenses are to be granted in the : district ; (4( Whether uo liceiises arc to be granted in the colon} 1 . The licensing polls are to be taken on the day and at the same time as the general election polling. Each voter to be supplied with two voting papers, one for the licensing poll, the other for the electoral poll. The result of the licensing poll is to be decided as follows : — Outhc questions (1) of the number of licenses in a district existing as at present, and (2) whether the number of licenses shall be reduced, an absolute majority of the votes recorded will decide these questions. Ou questions (>}) local Prohibition aud (4) colonial Prohibition, a thrcefifths majority of the votes recorded will be necessary to <;ive effect to thenc. In any district Avheic Prohibiit mi has already bee:: carried, a three-fifths majority will be required to reverse; this decision, and likewise in case of colonial Prohibition. If the voting be in favor of reduction of the licenses existing in a district, the Licensing Committee shall at its first annual meeting after the licensing poll reduce the number of licenses by not less than 5 per cent, nor more than 2'> per cent, of the total number of licenses in the district, exclusive of licenses forfeited by law. Those licenses which have been endorsed tor breaches of the law in respect of selling liquor to children, female aboriginal natives, drunken pcL-sons, Sunday trading, cLc, are to be red iic jd those houses with little or no accommodation going next. If local Prohibition be carried, uo licenses shall be renewed in the district. In the ewut of colonial Prohibition being carried, the Customs authorities ouly will bfr allowed to import liquor, aud they are to dispense it only for medicinal use or for use in the arts aud manufactures. The manufacture of liquor in the colony will also be prohibited. Colonial option shall remain in force until reversed at a succeeding poll. If such a reversal occur licenses shall be issued in the different districts to the extent of not less than 50 per cent of tin; differcntkiuds of licenses existing in tin: district at the time Prohibition came into force. Club charters arc to be subject to the results of tlm lic^usiug poll, aud in case of a reduction being carried, no new club charter shall be granted in that district so long as reduction remains in force. No liquor shall be sold at any club at hours when it may uot be sold on nay licenced pvotui^cu. No charter shall be granted for a club in premises in respect of which a club charter has been revoked, or a publican's license has been taken away or forfeited. Clubs may be proceeded against in the ordinary way for breaches of the Act. No iiccuse to sell liquor at a railway refreshment room shall be granted in a Prohibition district. The cost of the committee elections and administration of such committees is to be paid by the local authorites. There shall be no increases in the number of licenses in any district unless the population increases by 10 per cent, aud then only in cases of " No license " not being carried. The increases in licenses must not exceed one license for every seven hundred of such increase in population. No new bottle or wine licenses are to be granted after the passing of this Act, and all licenses then in force will lapse after the next licensing poll. Cases similar ta that at Levin are dealt with by the provision that licenses may be removed from one house to another in an undivided borough, or ward of a divided borough, or town district, or riding of a count}', or road district, being iu no case further than five miles by the nearest road from such licensed premises. Section 156 of the Act of 1881 is repealed aud another substitued, having the effect of preventing lodgers or travellers "shouting " drinks for others who may bo in a hotel on a Sunday. The definition of a traveller is also altered to that of a person who has slept the night previous at least five miles from the hotel at which he applies for refreshment, the five being substituted for three. Further protection is provided for owners of hotel property by enabling them to evict any tenant against whom a couviction under the Licensing Act has been recorded. After such eviction the owner of the property may apply to have the conviction endorsed on the license for the premises, removed. Persons selling liquor to intoxicated natives are made liable to a penalty of not less than £2 or more than A'lo. Prohibited persons make themselves liable to a penalty of £10 by entering any licensed premises, and so does any person accompanying or procuring drink for them. Section 21 of the Act of 1893, is made clear, and is not to be construed to effect or to have effected the position of the licenses, or any proceedings taken regarding them, in the licensing districts of Addington, Newtown, and Sydenham East, which were constituted under, the principal Act. The' Beer Duty Act of ISBO is amended so that the smallest quantity of liquor to be sold by brewers is four ; instead of two gallons.