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Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 386, 4 July 1868, Page 2

The Visiting Warden of the Grey District Gold Fields, recently made a representation to the County Council with I'egai'd to the fearful extent to which he found sly-grog selling carried on in the districts visited by him, and he then made a number of suggestions of a practical character for destroying the. illegal traffic. We are glad to find that these recommendations, and those of other members of the Magistracy and the police force, have been acted on by the Council, and that a series of resolutions, have been passed for the purpose of forming the ground woi'k of a Licensing Act for Westland. These resolutions inaugurate a move liberal policy to the fair trader by, in some instances, reducing . the exorbitant price which was charged for licenses, and giving other facilities for carrying on a legitimate traffic in localities where slygrog selling now reigns predominant. This is especially the case up-countiy, where many men who were inclined to be fair traders were hindered from being so by the high price charged for a license. In future they will not be able to plead this as an excuse for evading the law, as it is provided that "conditional licenses" maybe granted on the Gold Fields at the rate of £12 10s the half-year, or £20 per annum; and " bush licenses" will be granted for remote districts at the rate of £10 a year. This is a great improvement upon the present system, and will tend materially to reduoe the number of unlicensed houses now to be met with scattered everywhere over the gold fields. With regard to the towns, some important alterations in the present law are also proposed. The "bottle license" was opposed by Mr Whall, who moved that it be struck out. Perhaps ib was natural for Whall to oppose this license, but it was also somewhat out of taste. He argued that the introduction of such a clause would be hard upon hotelkeepers, who paid a heavy license, aud was an encouragement to sly-grog selling. It may for a time prove a hardship to some, but we rather think its effect will be otherwise than that stated by our hon. member. " Retail" licenses in town are not to be issued for a shorter period than one year, but holders of " bottle" or "wholesale" licenses, cau remove to other premises on payment of a fee of £2 10s for the former and £2 for the latter. Dancing saloons, or casinoes, are to be licensed, whether they are connected with a licensed house or otherwise, and the fee charged is to be £20 a year. Mr Shaw carried an important addition to the resolutions, providing that in future the issue of licenses in Hokitika aud Greymouth should be regulated by a bench of Justices of the Peace, instead of the Resident Magistrates as atpre sent. This may have some effect in Hokitika, but what the consequences of it will be here on the next licensing day we cannot predict, as, with the exception of the two Wardens, there is not a Justice of the Peace iv town. Perhaps the County Council, in its wisdom, will also make a recommendation providing for the creation of a bench of "the Great Unpaid."