MATAKITAKI NOTES.

Lyell Times and Central Buller Gazette, Volume VI, Issue 277, 12 June 1886, Page 2

MATAKITAKI NOTES.

(from our own correspondent.) Murchison, June 7th, 1886.

A bomshell has burst, striking dismay and terror to the hearts of the holders of licences for the dispensing of spirituous liquors to the thin-ty. The time and place of the catastrophe was at the meeting of the local licensing bench last Tuesday (a report of which has already appeared in y.our columns); and was in the shape of a memo from the County Council calling attention to the 32nd section of the Licensing Act, which states : 44 That no accommodation license shall be granted to any house situated within five miles of any other licensed house," and notifying the bench that any license so recommended would not be endorsed. Now, the licensing bench are in this position : there are two houses situated at Fern Flat within halt a-inile of each other, the lame at Hampden, all having accommodation licenses since before the passing of the present Act. In either case were either house absent there would be no difficulty, but as they are sit a ed, each by the wording of the Act should pay for publicans' licenses, and business is not sufficiently brisk to admit of this ; so the beuch wisely decided to continue the accommodation licenses at about the same rates, or trilling -increase, shifting the it-

sponsibility to the shoulders of the County Council.

An anonymous letter was also read, signed " Parent," making grave charges against some of the houses not specified. I am not going into the truth or untruth of the charges, as that is altogether beyond my province, but I wish to enter a protest against anonymous letters altogether. They are cowardly stabs in the dark, often bringing with them consequences totally different to what is intended by the writer. There were also some remarks made about the sale of drink on Sunday, which is beyond the power of the law to interfere in, in a district where every man is more or less a traveller; though Hampden has the unenviable name of doing its most important business always on the seventh day.

I am informed on reliable authority that the road to the Six-Mile is now an accomplished fact, that is as far as the needful is concerned, and after next meeting of the County Council tenders will be invited for the work.

The much vexed question of the Owen Road is at last settled to go by Maggie's Creek, and is now progressing by day labour, because it is cheaper and quicker than contracting work, I suppose.

Quid Nunc.