Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 1894. The Licensing Question.

Manawatu Herald, 13 March 1894, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 1894. The Licensing Question.

It has been suggested that candidates for election to the Licensing Committee should publish their views, upon the misconception that the committee is an active working body. For our own part the lesg we heav of views held by candidates the better as thus leading us to hope for the impartial administration of tho Act. In the past years the local licensing committees had strong views and frequently permitted them to obscure the right interpretation of the law, and, unfortunately, when they even knew better decided to act according to their private wills and affections. This conduct has led to the introduction of the Act passed last session under which the coinniitteemen are chosen from a wider area aud this with a hope that more able men will be chosen to the responsible position which the acceptance of such office imposes. The desire seems plainly shown to be the securing of a body of upright and impartial men to dt-.a! with whatever questions injy bbrought before them. The Am distinctly lays down, first, that no now licenses shall be granted until after the next Census has been taken, and then only after a poll has been taken and the population has increased ; secondly, that the electors determine whether licenses shall be decreased ; thirdly, whether the number of licenses is to continue ; and fourthly, whether any licenses are to be granted. The ordering on licensing matters is entirely in the hands of the public, and should the poll, which is likely, be void, the Committee will probably understand that to be an expression that the electors wish matters to remain as they are. The whole intent of the Act is to that effect, though, to please a certain number of electors it is expressly declared that any elector who has expressed his views, whatever they may be, partial or impartial, is still eligible {or the position. But what is the good of the candidates declaring view.s which are impossible of attainment? A prohibition committee may say they will have no public houses bub if the electors say the licenses are to remain what can that committee do ? For a candidate to say -more than if elected he will act according to the best of his skill and ability appears to be nonsense, and electors in choosing a new Committee must be guided by their knowledge of how the candidates have previously acted \a various capacities in the past. The nomination of the Stipendiary Magistrate as Chairman of the Committee is a most satisfactory one, but id does not insure the Committee from going astray, as he is only endowed with an original and a casting vote, and with him there are eight other members, so that five eccentric persons might even now produce some such extraordinary decisions which we have witnessed in thw past. Electors must remember that the power placed in their hands is a serious trust, not to be ignored and that by their selection on polling day so will tbeir Licensing Committee be. Judging by the past there is much room for improvement, yet the past committees were so called elected by the non«proposal of any better than they. We j hop • that electors will make a point, of voting, and select the candidates they believe will be best suited for the position and without any personal feeliug one way or the other. I

In another column it will be noticed that Mr and Mrs Thynne invite " one and all " to a Garden Party next Tuesday. There is only one drawback, the shilling entrance, but as the whole amount without deduction of {my sort is to be paid over to the Palmerston Hospital Fund, it is hoped by Mr and Mrs Thynue that their \iiitors will not object to that toll. All will be made heartily welcome, and a pleasant afternoon j may be looked forward to. On. Saturday the Minister for Labour paid a visit to the State farm at Levin. A triumphal arch was erected - over the road by the State labourers, and they asked for and obtained a Saturday halfholiday. The trouble about the arch was we 1 spent. The " burn "is aaid to have been a very good one. The Premier visited the celebrated chief Rewi at Kihi Kihi and promised that the house and land the Government gave him i should be transferred to his stop-son. He also told him he was a friend of his (Rpwi's) fiier.<?. Sir George Gi^y. All this ia bound to bs most interesting. " New Australia " does not appear to be the Eden it was painted. Already a split has occurred and about 81 persons have left, after withdrawing £300 for the £1600 they had paid in. Messrs Abraham and Williams hold a large stock sale at Palmei\3ton on Thursday. Mr Tennant still keeps his mill going and ships Home ; his last returns from the London market giving him just a living price at the mill. May he soon get some, thing better for his pluck and energy is our wish. Though apples appear to be far in excess of local wants we strongly recommend those who have sorts that will keep to hold on to them, as generally the apple harvest has not been good, in fact in the Wanganui district it has been a very poor one. The Pinafore company perform at Feild* ing to-night, to, we hope, a bumper house. The last well put down by Mr Battersby on the Motoa swamp failed to come up to expectations, at least the desired water has failed, after going 200 feet, and it was thought that it would have to be abandoned, but Mr Battersby stuck at it and was rewarded after reaching 250 feet with a very strong pressure, the water rising some 20 feet above the surface. Ho informs us that he was upon a heavy boulder bottom. Mr P. Curtis brought from San Francisco a f>.w sample baskets of prepared fruits. Having been participator in one of thesa thoughtful little presents we can say the fruits are delicious, and the whole " get up " an object lesson to fruit growers. Nominations ought all to be in to-day of candidates for the Licensing Committee. Two candidates residing in Foxton we know have b^en -duly nominated, viz., Messrs Thynne and Williams. The Woodville Burgesses have been very backward in coming forward to pay their rate^, and the Council has determined on issuing summonses at once and have asked the Magistrate to hold a special sitting to deal witn the casts ? An American exchange thus describes an actress — " Patti Rosa is as good-natured as a grig and as full of life m a bottle of ginger." The American Consul at Ningpo describes the Chinese merchant as honorable in all business affairs, " the great merchants are the soul of honour, and foreigners prefer transaotiug business with them." At a meeting at Christchurch, Bishop Julius said the country was not ri. e for prohibition and that it could not be enforced. A design has been accepted for the Bailance memorial, provided it can be completed for. the- sum advertised by the committee. The Maoris " ought to be ashamed "of l!;.-.:':?.elves. They treated the Premier at Pupia's plac, up the Wang.mui Biver. i neatly a? bad as ihe Shnnnon peop'e dil. It is recorded by the " enterprising re porter " that a Native welcomed him with a hair broom, with which "he cut a ridiculous figure." Ha will know better for the future how to respect great men. The Referee's Wanganui correspondent suggests that jockeys should be called upon to produce their licenses at the scales. The Manawatu County Council hold their regular meeting to-morrow at Sanson. j Mr John Sanson, with his family, have been staying for the last fortnight at the Headß, and they are thoroughly impressed with the advantages of the situation and intend to recommend it to their friends who may be seeking health and pleasant holiday resort. Sir Andrew Clark, the great physician who but lately died in London, was not one who would give up a case he had in hand. He was at the bedside of a patient in a critical case when a telegram arrived offering him a fee of £5000 to attend at once on a patient. " What will you do." was asked, "Nothing will induce me to leave this bedside," replied Sir Andrew, " until the battle with death is decided, and so long as my services are needed." The employees of 'Maple * Co., the well* known Tottenham Court Boad warehouse, number close.upon three thousand. Our dear boys have good appetites, bless them, but an old English jockey appears to have had as equally a good one. judging by | the yarn in Harry Cualance'a " Rccollec- | lions." Jockey Norman dined in the housekeeper's room at Burghley House after a race meeting, and after dinner the housekeeper said to him, " Mr Norman, would yon like a little dessert ? " " Thank you mum," he replied, " I don't mind if I do, if you'll fetch in that beefsteak pudding again !" The London Daily Chronicle says :— " Our Borne correspondent telegraphs that renewed offers of hospitality have been made through the Papal Nuncios by several European Governments to the Pope in case the sitnation in Laly becomes dangerous to the personal safety of the Sovereign Pontiff. The chief of these is Spain, althougn the offer of Miramar by Austria still remains open. The subject was mentioned in a letter from Cardinal | Gonzalez, Archbishop of Seville, who has | been undergoing an operation by Professor { Beißinann in, Berlin .The . reply of Leo j XIII would indicate that the Pope has no intention of leaving the Vatican during any civil commotion affecting Italy only. His duty, however, as chief of Catholicism, would b.> to seek some locality where the independence of the Holy See would be preserved in case of war between Italy and any other European Power." Mr A. J. Balfour in a recent, speech at Manchester dealt with the Imperial Defence. He deplored the tendency in the eountry to alternate between apathy and panic, and suggested that there ought to be a Department of the Government, ext rcising control over both the War O.'nce . and the Atlmiraliy, charged with respon- > «=ibi:iiy for the defence of the Kmpire. Mr Hal four also pointed out that th» frontier of the British Empire ia tlu least' defensible of all the Empires of the world; and that the command of the sea is essential for th« maintenance of the Empire. '

To-day Mr Staff, of Heatheiiea, brought j to our office a sample onion grown from a sixpenny packet of Yates 1 seeds. It weighed 3flbs t,nd measured round the bulb 21J inches and over it 18£ inches. From the packet he procured 3 cwt of onions which all ranged from 21bs upwards. They were grown without forcing in any way with manure. The name of the onion is the Giant Eocker. The Clerk of the Assessment Court an* nounces the date when the Judge will hear appeals against the Assessment of the \ Borough of Foxton. It is probable that two Palmerston dealers in beer and spirituous liquors will have to answer charges for disposing of liquor in a manner not contemplated by the Licensing Act. La3t night the congregation of the 'Primitive Methodist Church had a coffee cupper to welcome the arrival of the Rev. F. Boys, their new pastor, who preached on Sunday for the first time in Fo'xton. Horse-owners are reminded that nominations for the Foxton Bacing Club doie at 9 p.m. on Thursday next. To-morrow Messrs Abraham and Williams hold their stock sale at Levin. Official accounts from Sierra Leone announce that Colonel Ellis has rescued some 400 slave women and children, after defeating the Sofas in the vicinity of Bagwema. It is believed that this party of slave-hunters has been completely dispersed. Two members of the British force were severely wounded. The question of the codification of the law relating to summary procedure which would be a boon to Justices, is being considered by the Attorney-General, and the suggestions made by him will be taken into consideration by the Cabinet. At the scene of the Earnalpi rush, near Coolgardie, the ground is rich but patchy. Water is extremely scarce on the field, and is selling at 53 per gallon. Mr Greenwood has altered the date of his visit to Foxton to Thursday 29th March. This morning the Pinafore Amateur Opera Company left town at 8.30 a.m. in two of Mr Stansell's four horse coaches. It says something for the resources of his establishment that he is able to supply a four horse team of greys, a four horse team of bays, and horse the mail coach, and still have good staunch animals at the stables for occasional use. j The Sandon Hack races take place on Saturday, aud to meet the convenience of those residing in the district desirous of attending them, the manager of the Tram has arranged for a train to leave Carnarvon after the arrival of the 9 a.m train from Foxton and connecting with the down train at night. The Gothic took away 15 boxes of bullion, worth £46,000, and the Premier never interfered! Water ha3 been obtained from the artesian well on Mr Saunders' property, Awahuri, at a depih of 223ft, says the Standard, the flow being nearly sft above the surface. In the opinion of the Pall Mall Gazette, " New Zealand might do worse than to follow the example of Canada, and offer prizps in the public schools of the United Kingdom for the best essays on the history, geography, and resources" of the colony. Messrs Gorton & Son's Hunterville sale will he held on Thursday. Next Monday Messrs Gorton & Son hold a clearing-out sale at Campbelltown. A large sale of cattle and sheep to be more particularly announced shortly, will be held by Messrs Gorton & Son at the end of the month. Messrs J. and M. Kebbell, executors in tho estate of the late Mrs John Kebbell, have presented two antiquarian cnrioßi'ties to the Colonial Museum, says the Post. One is a quarto Bible and prayer-book of .the Church of i-.ngland, with massive wooden covers a quarter of an inch thick, embellished with brass knobs, screwed on. The letter press work is in Old English typ«, and the paper, which id very rough, is of a slightly yellowish tint. The volume is issued trom one of the Universities, and bears the date 1034. The other item is a small piece of red gold-embroided silk cut from the pulpit of a church in Trent, Eugland, and is said to have formed part of the State robes of Charles I. The great realising sale lasting for 20 ! days promises to be a gigantic success. , The whole stock is to be offered at genuine reduced prices many of the lines will be marked at less than English cost at Ie Aro House, Wellington. During the Great Sa e Ladies' aprons will be sold at 4^d. 4 buttons Kid gloves all new fresh goods at 1/11 per pair. White and cream laces at 9d per doz. Ladies' linen collars new shapes at 3d each. Boys' sailor collars at 3d each, sold everywhere at 6d, at the Great iSale Te Aro House, Wellington. It will pay country customers to take a run down to the Great Realising Sale they will save all the expenses and be money in pocket by buying all they want while goods are so cheap. Orders from the country will be carefully selected and sent carriage paid from the Great Realising Sale at Te Aro House. We are requested to direct the attention j of our readers to the fact that the Annual ! Sale of Surplus and Summer Stock will j commence at The Bon Marche, Palmerston North, on Saturday, 13th January, and continue for 21 days. Buyers in tbia district will do well to pay the Bon Marcha an early visit.

Africa state that the British column operating against the Arab slave dealer Godlisliah has captured and burned the village of Gungur. The Times urges Lord Rosebery to dismiss Viscount Oxenbridge, Master of the Horse, on the ground that his name is mixed up in scandal in connection with the Liberator Permanent Building Society fraud?.