LICENSING ACT AMENDMENT.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 392, 16 September 1884, Page 2

LICENSING ACT AMENDMENT.

PUBLIC MEETING. _ A public meeting convened by requisition was held on Saturday evening in tne Gore Town Hall. Mr. T. Green, chairman of the Town District, presided, and opened the proceedings by reading the requisition which, contained the request to convene the meeting. It was signed by about; thirty ratepayers. No doubt, he said, some one present, would state the purpose for which the meeting was called. He would therefore leave the matter , in the hands of those present; Mr Jno. Smaill moved the following resolution : — " That in the opinion of this meeting those clauses referring to compensation in the proposed amendment Licensing Act introduced by Major Steward are detrimental to the interests of ratepayers in general and tend to undermine the present system of local option, and that a copy of this motion be forwarded to Messrs Cowan and .Richardson requesting them to oppose it.

Mr Jno. Mac Gibbon seconded the motion. He proceeded to read largely from the amending Act now before the House. The portion read was to the effect that if the number of vote 3in favor • of the proposal to refuse, a license ion ihe sole ground that the house is not required shall exceed' the number given against such proposal by one-third or more, the proposal shall be deemed to be carried. Compensation shall; be- ascer-. tamed by arbitration, and the amount o£ ; such compensation shall be paid out; of the Borough or County fund, and if necessary a special rate may be struck in the district for Jhe purpose. M? MacGibbon said that here was a possibility of another Waimea-rate. If a house worth two or three thousand pounds were closed in the Gore district it meant a rate of 63 in the £. It was clearly /-their duty, no matter in what business ,they were engaged, to kick against such a proposal; ' : ■••;•■. ■; '.' ■' ■■' •' 1 „

Mr Aitken asked when the next read^ ing of the Bill took place ? . The chairman said he really did jnot know, : as his attentioffhad not been cajlled to the matter. ' -" ' ' " ' ' !* .

Mr MacG-ibbon said he had seen a telegram from Mr S tout; , which stated jftat the second reading would take place on Miiursday next, ' - *- ; Mi- A. Martin said the executive co#tmittee of the Good, Templars had decided to consider the matter, but the meeting, had lapsed. The telegram menti(Jried was' in reply to one sent to Mr Stout by the committee. This he would , now read. The rates were quite enough at present. We had the example of. the VV aimea rate before,our eyes. The present proposal he considered struck directly at the root of liberalism. No doubt indignation meetings would be held all ° Y tl countr 3 r . to protest" against it. Mr Simson said, as he understood it* it was proposed, that if the Templars refused a license compensation could be claimed by the person who was aggrieved or who lost thereby. The chairman said that by clause 24 the matter was virtually in the hands (of the ratepayers, for a majority of one-third must first be obtained.

Mr MaeGibben pointed put that;two thirds must agree to a renewal. ; Mr M'Gill said that no one could speak adversely to Mr Srnaill's motion. Why should they not compensate' other industries ? He held the. proposition to be monstrous, and a stroke at. the fundamental spirit of the Local Option AcL Mr Souness said that as a matter of -fact, a publican could not open. unless with the consent of the ratepayers. Ifcjlay with them whether it continued to be required, and if they wished it closed they should pay for- it. • ■/ . Mr Fletcher said this was not a question between the publicans and : the toototallers. If it were they could fight it out like Kilkenny cats. What it really was was a proposal by a side wind to declare that no publican should bo deprived of his license without compensation. This recognition of a vested right had always been sruarded again.sb at home. The Bill did not come, baldly forward and say that. It was framed plausibly to please, both, the publican and. the BJue llibb.6n,ite. But th,o ratep#yer§ wo,uld be the real; su^erers. If they, were caUed. upon to provide a.p'enI sion fund far publicans their properties would be all swallowed up in rates, and would be worth nothing by and bye. The chairman then having read the motion, put it, and it was carried without dissent. Twenty-nine gentleman ro!ed for it. The usual complimant paying fysen 1o the Qhair* th# meeting, wh.ich was v \>.f 'upwards oi 50 gentlemen, closed. ; • :