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Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1926, Page 2

Tim alarms and excursions made in connection with the nomination of the Licensing Committee, suggest that it was time the mode of election was revised. The present system is far too expensive for the work involved, while it tends also to party organisations seeking to pack a bench which is intended to he entirely judicial. The system is not. in keeping with the true circumstances of the easy?. A poll in ■Westland, for instance, owing to the size of the electorate, will rost between €-100 and 500. This falls on the local bodies, and it is conceivable, in -uny.-. oloetora:tcs. 'might swamp the whole of the licensing revenue raised by the local bodies. The system tends to ho a heavy financial burden. Ihe revision could be in the direction of making the appointments nominative, or ultimately to have a bench of Alngistrnlc's. The licensing law alfecting inn-keepers i< .somewhat complex, and the law should he administered not in a piltisan spirit, hut judiciously. T. ndcr the present system it i.s possible for committeemen of biased leanings to be elected. That has occurred in some instances and unfairness lias resulted. Seeing that in nearly all the ei.eetoraLes now elections are avoided by compromises to avoid the cost of the poll, some action should he taken in revise the system, so that there will not ho llv danger of compromises being upset, or the parlies concerned failing to reach an agreement, in which case the ratepayers haw* to foot the hill for the cost of an election.

Tiikßu is every reason to he gratified with the continued popularity of Hoki-

tika a.s a resold for visiting picnic parties. No doubt Cass Square so centrally situated, and so well found in everv way is an ideal picnic resort on such occasions. It occurs to ns that to popularise the. town as the .settled rendezvous of those pleasant gatherings so profitable to the business people of the community, that something should he done in the way of setting up a Hospitality Commit to? to co-operate with the committee of the visiting picnics in making the visits more enjoyable and useful in every way. H this were don? it is possible, rain or shine, very few picnics would lie missed in the year. A Hospitality Commit to? would he of special usefulness when the weather is

Hid iiii’il In lie adverse. Arrangements could 1..’ so iiuulo tluil hulls would he available I'f'iidily, mid s|-eciiil forms of entertainment provided at short notic.', such us dancing, an impromptu eoneert or even a picture show. Visits to some of the local places such as the museum, dredge, dairy factory, foundries, oU.-. could lc arranged. while visits to outlying places could he arranged for at special fares, inducin'; a la rue nuinhcr (o travel. A local commit-100 could assist also with the sports programine. and generally arrange a means of general entertainment for visions that whatever the slate of the wealh-cr, young and old would he catered for and given an enjoyable day. This is a mailer wlibh might well he taken in hand liy the powers that lie so as to popularise our town Car and wide.