The Levin License.

Manawatu Herald, 23 February 1895, Page 2

The Levin License.

The Hon. Mr Reeves, though a Liberal Minister is not too liberal in the use of words which would put facts in an unfavourable light for himself. To the deputation that waited upon him on the matter of transferinj* a license from Manakau to Levin on Tuesday afternoon, h-* asserted that "he had always been opposed to having a licensed housp in close vicinity to the State farm." This seems to have been an unfortunate admission to have made as the Minister must lie under the stigma of indifference to his duty or of being very lukewarm in his opposition. Mr Reeves said •• until last Sunday he was not aware that any fresh attempt was to be made to obtain the license .... as far as he could find out that attempt (lhe last) was made when he was away in Australia which possibly accounted for the fact that no action was taktn." Mr Reeves ought to know that he was not stating the real facts to the deputation, which would have put in a very different light the carelessness exhibited by Inn. It was at the first quarterly meeting of the O;aki L'c=?n<ing Bench, in September, that the firsr. application f>r a transfer was made. Did Mr Reeves know of this ? After this, during last Session of Pailia ment, Mr J. G. Wilson drew tha Premier's attention to the attempt, and instanced the proximity of the State farm to tha proposed new house. Did Mi* Reeves remember this ? Again in October, in the House, Mr Wilson asked the Premier to pass a short Bill to prohibit the transfer of a license from one towndhip to another, having this license in view at the time, and Mr Beeves should have boen aware of it, was he ? If Mr Reeves was earnest in his opposition to the license being granted, and being aware that one attempt had been made, be would have given instructions before now. that any such effort should have been opposed. Under his order* he has the manager of the State Farm who should have kept him posted, or he should have been directed to have done so, in any fresh attempt to place such a temptation as a public house in close proximity to his farm. The last attempt to get a license close to the farm wa* made in December, was not Mr Reeves informed of ib? He has carefully led the deputation to understand that there might have been an attempt in September, which failed, and the proposed application to come before the Committee nest month is the second. As we have shown, the second attempt was made in December, and the third is to be made in March. So glaring is this last attempt that a large house is in course of erection, but Mr Reeves only heard anything about it •• from a gentleman named Boyd" last Sunday. It thus appears that in 11 conserving the interests of the State Farm," the gentleman named Winterburn, the manager of the State farm, has been extremely lax in posting up his chief officer, who is left to find out such important movements from some outsider. We gather then that the Minister of Labour is unaware that the men employed on the State Farm sent into the Licensing Committee a petition practically in favour of the transfer being granted, as it was antagonistic to a petition which was lodged against its being permitted. The case is clear thai for all the I

Minister knew of what was going on the transfer might have been granted and the business of the public house in full swing, without his being any the wiser, though he has a Manager within a mile of the locality, paid to " conserve the interests of the farm " and who ought to have been informed that his Chief " had always been opp )sed to having a licensed hous-e in close vicinity of the State Farm." Presept anil practise seems particu arly far removed in the above instance. Mr Reeve? needa to keep a sharper eye on the interests intrusted to his keeping and to make sure that hi 3 subordinates properly grasp the opinions he holds. Without some such caution further troubles may arise in the Departments which he has charge.