THE BREWERY DEPOT.

Matamata Record, Volume VI, Issue 499, 24 December 1923, Page 2

THE BREWERY DEPOT.

LICENSING COMMITTEE INDIGNANT. Legislation Asked For. , An echo of an important applica- I J lion beforo the licensing committee at. 1 Tauranga in 12fl() for an nccommoda- ; r tion license at Matamata, which the i committee by a majority declined, I was heard at the last meeting of the t licensing committee, when one mem- ) her reported that the collector of ; ( customs' at Auckland had granted a /\ license to the Paeroa Brewery Co. to j t sell beer at a depot in Matamata in i quantities of not less than two gallons. |f The position is that section 46 of the |i Finance Act, 1.917, Rives the collector j \ of customs this power without refer- c ence to the licensing committee. On , ] j( becoming known that such a j license had been granted certain par- j 1 ties protested to the Minister, who , J instructed the collector to cancel the j license. He endeavoured to do so j but was faced with a Supreme Court / action by the Brewery Co. Mr. Jus- :j lice Stringer ruled that the collector could grant a license but had no ' power to revoke it. Judgment was ' therefore given for the plaintiff com- < pany, with costs ten guineas and dis- . j bursemenls against the collector. j The position now is that what the J licensing committee declined has been ' granted in. part by the collector of customs without power of supervision or revocation and without the neces- , sity of consulting the committee. The | : licensing committee passed a resolu- j , tion that the granting of a license was a reflection on it, and that the i Minister be asked to take steps to I "revoke the power given to collectors ' to grant such licenses, which should , vest only in the committee, also that , it be given power to cancel the license i in question when deemed fit.