The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1915. OTAKI LICENSING BENCH VACANCIES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 March 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1915. OTAKI LICENSING BENCH VACANCIES.

An informal decision wais come to, ami announced in the Wellington newspapers. that the Otaki Licensing election contretemps should be overcome by treating as valid the two nomination papers sent in after the hour fixed for. the closing of nominations. To this course The Chronicle objected, on the grounds that such ail invasion of the Statute requirements would be unconstitutional. We are pleased to note to-day that the Government has seen its duty in the matter and has refused to allow this course to be followed. The trouble has been overcome in a lair and proper manner, by having Messrs McLeavey ami Ttmipsitl appointed under an Order from the Govcrnor-'ii-Council. Accordingly they become members of the Otaki Licensing .Bench and complete the personnel of five needed under the Act. For future guidance, however, and to prevent this quite unobjectionable act "being made a precedent for some future action not parallel with the present case-, the factshould.be memorised that this year the .No-License Party allowed the Otaki Licensing Bench election to go by dclault so far as the nomination of NoLicense candidates was concerned. Had they not followed this course, tJio ethics ol justice would have required the holding of an extraordinary election to fill the two vacancies left by the nomination of an insufficiency of names for the five vacancies. NEW ZEALAND'S IMPORTS. It is a source of satis tact ion to all New Zealanders that the value of this dominion's imports hais not been reduced by the effects of the war now being waged abroad. Our imports in reality represent the measure of our spending power after the liquidation of our debts to foreign creditors who have lent us moneys for development of our industries; so the fact that a good volume of imports still is experienced vouches for the likelihood of continued prosperity. In a recent iseuo of the New Zealand Trade Review we note that in the capital city some merchants are complaining of a- quietness in trade, but the Review comments "taking the war into accoiuit and allowing for that, the volume of business is remarkably good. It is a matter for congratulation that the war has had so little effect on our trade. Some line 6 are in short supply and naturally there have been advances in prices, but generally speaking business is going on smoothly and satisfactorily, with comparatively very little inconvenience through the war."