THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1882. THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LICENSING COMMITTEES.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2540, 30 May 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1882. THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE LICENSING COMMITTEES.

The near approach of the date on which the annual meetings of the several Licensing Committees will be held, as might bo expected strongly directs public opinion to their probable issue. Indeed, the trade itself is not one whit more interested in the line that will bo taken up by the Committees than are the residents in tho various districts. Tho Licensing Act has, of course, been framed solely for the good of tho public, and, being tbo best judges of what they want, tho public expect the law to bo interpreted in such a manner as may meet their reasonable expectations. Publicans are too apt to look upon themselves as agents who are privileged to interpret the wishes of their customers. If anything is dona that does not go on all-fours with i he interests of the trade a cry ia raised

by the Licensed Victuallers that the public will Buffer. It is natural perhaps, S 3 publicans should look upon the queslion throusrh their own spectacles, and sTuldaU g the time believe that they are actuated by a sincere desire to meet the ,ood of th e peope at .large- but the latter will not be satisfied unless a perfectly nba»sed "g i 8 taken by the Committees. The Licensing Act is the law of the land and has been passed by tne representatives of the people after mature deliberation. It is the bounden duty therefore, of the Committees to interpret that law in a manner consonant with common sense, and with a special view to tbe smooth working of the measure. Some of the provisions of the statute are, to a certain extent, experimental m character, and the Committees will be bound to give the experiments proposed a fair chance of showing whether they will work out as expected or otherwise One of the most important ot tne questions that will come before the Committees will be that of the time of night at which public houses shall be closed in their districts. Clause 30 of the Act provides that " a publican's license shall authorise tho licensee to sell and dispose ef any liquor.in any quantity.on the premises therein specified, between the hours of six in the morning and ten at night. Under the 37th, however, we find that the Lis. naing Committee may at any annual or quarterly licensing meeting, "grant to any holder of a publican a license, on payment of an additional foe of ten pounds, an extension of the time hereinbefore prescribed for the sale of liquors, until twelve o'clock at night, on being satisfied of its being for the benefit and convenience of the public." It will be observed that the law is perfectly clear on one point, namely, that publichouses will, under the regulations about to be introduced, have to be closed either at ten o'clock or at twelve o'clock. There is no power given to Committees to allow any intermediate hour to be the one fixed on. The normal time for closing is ton o'clock, and it is only when any Committee is convinced that the public necessity and convenience demand that the house applying shall be granted an extension of time that the request shall be complied with. As we before said some of the clauses of the Act are experimental in character, and in none perhaps is this more clearly shown than in this provision. As stated tho question before the Committees will not be as to whether houses should close at ten or at the time which now obtains, but as to whether they should close at ten or midnight. The answer will be in many cases an

tremely puzzling one, and that for n M»y reasons. In the first place, supposing an extension of time to bo given to no house in a district, the effect of a general closing at ten o'clock has yet to be learnt. Will such closing conduce to the general morality and well-being of the community? Evidently the Legislature think that such will bo the case, by providing that a midnight license shall bo an exception and not the rule. Certainly, in other towns, when the time for selling liquor has been curtailed, the result has been very satisfactory. In London, for instance, not so long ago, houses might be kept open as long as the licensees wished. But, on a regulation being framed that houses should be closed at midnight, it was at once seen that a great step had been gained, that the streets became more orderly, and that the number of convictions for drunkenness was diminished. Then, again, in Tasmania for a length of time the hour for closing has been ten o'clock, and the inhabitants have never objected, but have adapted themselves to the arrangement with perfeet good grace, and no public inconvenience has been found to result. A number of people who now frequent Christchurch public houses between the hours of ten and eleven would no doubt cry out if all bars wero shut at ten o'olock. But do these gentlemen represent the public at large ? The real question at issue is is not the convenience of a limited section of the community, but that of the bulk of tho community. If any Committee is convinced that the wellbeing of the majority of the residents in their district demands that no special midnight licenses be granted, but that all public houses be closed at ten o'clock, they will naturally give effect to their conviction. If, on the contrary, they think that the convenience of the public demands that certain houses be opened to midnight, then there comes before them the dimculty of fixing ou the premises to which the privilege shall be granted. And this is no imaginary difficulty, but a very gorious one. Why, for instance, should one house bo granted the extension and not another ? Publican A would no doubt complain if publican B, whoso house is not so far off, were possessed of two moro trading hours than he had. Why should tho value of publican B's property be raised by four or five hundrod a year by tho mere payment of a ton pound extra feo. And, again, what means would the Committee have for knowing the wishes of the public as to which house should obtain the desired privilege, and which should not ? One of the arguments used for an extension of time being granted to a limited number of houses is that persons coming out of tho theatre or other places of amusement must havo refreshment of aome sort. But these pleasure-seekers certainly do not all go to the same houses. Some, on such occasions, frequent houses some distance from the places where the entertainments are held, so that, if the principle wero once admitted that theatregoers must obtain refreshment after thenarduous labors, a largo number of houses would apparently havo to be included in tho privileged circle, and tho ovidont intention of the Legislature that the general hours of opening should be curtailod by an hour wo aid not bo carried ; but on tho contrary an hour would bo added to the time which now obtains. We feel confident that the public will recognise tho difficulties with regard to this question which will stare tho Committees in the face next month, and will also remember that the Act is experimental in many rospocts, and that the Committees have no absolute data on which to work. Taking all the facts of tho case into consideration, we cannot holp thinking that Committees will do wisoly to try how tho more general provisions of tho Act work for tho next three months, and grant no extended licenses. By September next much will havo been learnt as to the effect of the Act and Committees will have some data on which to go. At present they are working, more or less, in the dark and tho most sensiblo part to take seoms to be that of adhering as closely as possible to the manifest wish of the Legislature that tho opening hours of houses should be somewhat curtailo 1. We reserve to another issue the discussion of

several other matters which will come before Committees at their annual meeting-