A “PUBLIC” GRIEVANCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 13, Issue 649, 21 January 1869, Page 3

A “PUBLIC” GRIEVANCE.

(From the Daily Southern Cross, 16th January.) It is not very many months since the publicans of Auckland appeared before the public as 'petitioners, in company with a number of people of singularly miscellaneous character and circumstances. The fate of the first petition was certainly not encouraging to the promoters, we should imagine ; but, undiscouraged by the repulse, the pub-

licans are again in the field, and have presented a petition to the Provincial Council. One striking feature about the document laid before the Council the other day, and printed by us in our issue of Thursday last, was the strong internal evidence of its being a home manufacture. Looking at the petition we should be inclined at once to say that it was composed as well as signed by publicans. Whether or

not we are right as to the literary parentage of the document, there can be no doubt that it is one of the most original petitions ever laid before the Provincial Council. The publicans have wrongs, it appears, in Auckland, and they look to the Provincial Goun cil, which they quaintly address as “Your honorable Court,” to redress their grievances. These amount to no less than six in number. The first

is, that there is a club in Auckland which does not pay a license fee to the Government, and the publicans, fear that others may be started on the same free-trade principle. The second is, that the public houses are at present prohibited from keeping open on Sundays, while the publicans are of opinion that, if they are closed during the hours of morning and afternoon service, they ought to be kept open

(luring the rest of the day and evening. Nor are they without a precedent for this. In London and other great cities this rule has been adopted, say the publicans, “ and great benefits have resulted.” The third grievance is that, despite that efforts of the publicans to improve the public health, they find all their efforts abortive owing to the unprincipled conduct of a few

(it is to be feared of their own number) in selling adulterated liquors. In the fourth place, the publicans wish to have a few night houses licensed for convenience of travellers from the Thames, so that arrive when they may they may get a hospitable bed and a hot glass of grog. The fifth grievance is the difficulty of getting music and dancing licenses, which the publicans look upon as important agents for the ! spread of high morality and the dis

couragement of drinking habits. And, lastly, the publicans complain of some traitors in their own camp (perhaps the men who are actually adulterating liquors), who have sent a petition to the Council for selfish purposes, and who do not approve, it would appear, ' of multiplying bars in all parts cf public-houses—a practice which would 1 without doubt produce the best moral : results upon the community if univer-

sally practised. It would certainly be most unfair ( to neglect any real grievances that ] could be urged by the publicans. No doubt they do pay high license fees, i and ought to receive all proper protec- l tion in return. The question, there j fore, is one in which prejudice is quite out of place. "We may not choose to ' be publicans; yet houses of public en- 1 tertainment are necessary, and their 1 proprietors, who pay a heavy license, j should be maintained in all their rights. The complaints of the pub- 1 Means, therefore, demand a particular 1 and careful examination. There is [ perhaps something to be said for the , first. It is just possible that clubs ; might be so multiplied in the commu- : nity that the publican’s trade might j be seriously injured. In the meantime ( the question is one of fact —are there ' so many clubs as to threaten danger 1 to the publican’s trade ? We have 1 have not heard of more than one as : yet, and, so long as that one adheres , to the practice of entertaining members only, we cannot see anything to com-

plain of on the part of the publicans. The second grievance begins to develop the humorous peculiarities which are the leading characteristics of the petition. The publicans wish to keep open on Sunday, which is no doubt a very natural wish, as it could hardly fail to add considerably to the profits of their business —we almost blush to mention a consideration of this kind to the publicans; their own reasons soar so far above this. Keeping public-

houses open on Sundays is now the practice in London, “ and from which great benefits have resulted,” say the publicans. The delicacy of language employed almost makes us overlook the singularity of the grammar. Great benefits have resulted; this, at least, is satisfactory, but to whom ? That is left for the imagination of the Council. Let public-houses open on

Sundays and that “ honorable Court ” will find out. The publicans have heard that adulterated liquors are sold in Auckland ; we should not wonder if it were so ; we fancy we have ourselves heard something of the sort, but we confess we should never have thought of the remedy suggested by the publicans. “ The honorable Court ” of the Provincial Council is requested to cause instructions to be given to the officers of Customs to seize all spurious or adulterated liquors, and prosecute those found dealing in the same. We fear the officers of Customs would have a

great increase of work, and would require very strong heads for tasting all the adulterated liquor sold in Auckland bars, even if the Council had power to give instructions to the Customs officials. The want of houses open at night is a real one, and we can see no reason why it should not be supplied in moderation. The convenience of the public demands, to some extent, such an alteration, and it is one which can do no harm if proper care is taken not to grant the license indiscriminately or extensively. The fifth grievance of the publicans is the most public spirited of all, and perhaps the most amusing. The publicans, desiring to draw tire people out

of the streets, and away from “ public drinking bars,” are very eager to improve the public taste by giving musical entertainments in their houses. The theatre is too costly for the working classes, it appears, for it costs a shilling to get a seat in the pit, and so, unless the public-houses come to the rescue with musical entertainments, which of course cost the working classes nothing, there is little chance that “ a great amount oi drunkenness will cease,” or that “ the tone of society will be greatly amended.” Could the publicans of Auckland have been laughing at that honorable Court the Provincial Council ? We

really cannot tell, but we should certainly suspect it, if it were not that there is a certain strain, not perhaps of selfishness —that is confined, as we know, to “six individuals’’ in the trade —but of a great appreciation of their own advantage. On the whole the publicans’ petition seems to stand alone. Whether we look at the delicacy of its suggestions, the peculiarities of its language, or the undivided attention given to one side of the question dealt with, the publicans’ petition commands our mingled admiration and astonishment.