SPECIAL LICENSING v. PUBLICANS

Kumara Times, Issue 785, 5 April 1879, Page 2

SPECIAL LICENSING v. PUBLICANS

[to the editor.]

Sir—ln the present difficulty with regard to special licensing, I, as the mover without a seconder of the motion in the Borough Council re the same, beg leave to have your consideration iu the matter, and allow me a space in your columns for the purpose of defence, as by the manner in which it has been ignored, the public may think I have been inspired by animus vire in the matter.

Last Thursday night the motion was brought forward, and no one out of Councillors present would deign to second it, and of course it lapsed. Now, sir, I will show yon and others that such a contingency may arise, and that I am not above the animus which might be ascribed to me, for the reason that not one of the gentlemen composing the Council had the courage fo second my motion—which', had it been done, would have grappled with the difficulty and taken any supposed onus off the shoulders of your humble servant for being too fast, by exposing an absurdity in this year "of our Lord, 1879.

Surely under our form of government, we should have the control of our personal affairs, and not be forced to live under a diluted system of despotism, and so leave our affairs in the hands of one man. Mr Price (to whom all honor is due) must think that the publicans of this town are a mere lot of toadies, who, for the sake of £ s. d., would sacrifice anything, and must suiely laugh at the—l will not call it ignorance, but imbecility—of the li-cense-holders, who are members of the Council, in not giving him a chance to retire from the irksome and thankless office which he now holds.

It may be said that we are better as we are on account of the facility by which licenses may be transferred through the agency of our " autocrat." But I, as a license-holder, would much rather be subject to public criticism than to have it said that were I not a good friend of the licensing officer I could not hold my license. It places both parties in a false position. Rumor, with her mauy tongues, is already busy. Sir I am astonished at the want of public spirit displayed by the noble I'ody of councillors elect, at the last meeting, as the subject was an important one and certainly deserved an expression of opinion ; but I suppose the adage the " least said soonest mended" came uppermost, and stayed the ebullition of eloquence which otherwise would have been displayed, but which fortutmiately found vent on the "goat" question, which immediately followed. I hope some of the councillors will step to the front and give me a chance to defend myself, or rather to support him, as there can be no two opinions with regard to the above question, as the present system is altogether an anomoly in a settled community, and should be done away with at once—and must.— I am, &c,

W. S. Hanna Kumara, April 4, 1879.