THE LOCAL OPTION BILL

Kumara Times, Issue 954, 21 October 1879, Page 4

THE LOCAL OPTION BILL

A copy of the Local Option Bill introduced by the member for Cheviot is now before us. Though generally known as the Local Option Bill it bears no such title, but is simply “ The Licensing Laws Amendment Bill, 1879.”- It is intended to come in force, if passed, on the Ist of January next year, and to be deemed part of the existing licensing laws of the colony, all enactments contrary to the provisions of the Local Option Bill being repealed. The Bill proposes to abolish all licensing districts now existing, except such as have been constituted with reference to the sale of liquor to Natives, and provides that “ the licensing districts for all purposes of the licensing laws shall henceforth be identical and conterminous respectively with existing and future boroughs, wards of boroughs, ridings of counties, road districts outsidb counties, and such other districts in part of the Colony not comprised within any part of the foregoing which the Governor in Conncil is hereby authorised to constitute from time to time, as may seem fitting,” provided always that the Governor in Council may have power to group, sub-divide, alter, abolish, or re-constitute such districts as he may see fit. To give full effect to the provisions of the Bill the Governor shall make all necessary regulations and appointments, but where the boundaries of licensing districts now existing have been unaffected by the Bill present appointments shall not be disturbed. Regarding the obtaining of new licenses, it is provided in the Bill that new premises can only be licensed at the June licensing meetings in each year, and in no case shall such license be granted until the ratepayers of the district shall have previously determined by a poll whether the number of licenses within the district shall be increased or not. The course to be followed for taking this poll is laid down. The Chairman of the Licensing Court appoints some convenient day in March, 1880, and the same time in each succeeding year—but not earlier than fourteen days after notification by public advertisement of the day so appointed—for taking the poll, which is to be done in the manner laid down by “ The Regulations of Local Elections Act, 1876.” The proposal to be submitted for the ratepayers’ determination shall be “That the number of publicans’ licenses in the district may be increased.” The ‘‘ Presiding Officer” (such is the designation of the Returning Officer under the proposed Act) shall be appointed by the chairman of the licensing district, and such officer shall cause to be printed voting papers In the form of the following schedule: Proposal that the number of publicans’ licenses in the district may be increased, upon which a poll will be taken on the day of 18—. 1. I vote that the number of publicans’ licenses in the district may be increased. 2, I vote that the number of publicans’ licenses in the district may not be increased. The voter will erase one or other of the lines given in the above schedule according, as he desires to vote in favor of or against the granting of new licenses, and he shall only have one vote as in the case of voting for members of the House of Representatives. Should the result of the voting favor new licenses it shall in no case render it imperative for the Licensing Court to issue them unless in its judgement it should see fit, and every determination of the ratepayers shall continue in force until another shall have been subsequently made. Where no ratepayer’s|roll exists, a roll is to be made up from the roll of electors for the House of Representatives for the electoral district in which the licensing district is situated, or in which any part of the district is comprised. If by any misadventure no determination is arrived at at the time appointed for tha poll, the Governor may, on the application of two ratepayers, appoint another day for a poll, such day being not less than fourteen days previous to the June sitting of the Licensing Court. All costs of the poll shall be paid by the district to which the licensing fees accrue. Notwithstanding anything in the licensing laws contained, any petition against the granting or renewal of a license, bearing the signatures of a majority of two-thirds of the residents or ratepayers in the neighborhood of the house objected to, shall be sufficient to cause the Licensing Court, on proof of the authenticity of the signatures, to refuse the license. Such petition shall bear, in addition to the signatures, the age of the party signing, and the actual distance of his residence from the house objected to, and the petition must be lodged with the Clerk of the Licensing Court not less than seven days previous to the day appointed for the next sitting. A list of all such petition to be posted for seven days in the office of the clerk. All improper signatures shall be erased from such petitions by the Court, who shall also take such measures for authenticating the signatures as shall be necessary to determine the number of resident and ratepayers in the “neighborhood,” and it shall also be the duty of the Court to determine what is to be deemed the “ neighborhood.” The compensation clauses, the great matter in dispute between the ultra and the moderate section of total abstainers, runs as follows : 20. The owner of, and every other person haying any beneficial interest in any public-house, the license for which shall be taken away or abolished under the provisions of this Act, shall be entitled to lull compensation for all loss which he or they may susiain by the exercise of the restrictive sections of this Act : and it shall be the duty of the Licensing Court to cause such compensation to be assessed