Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 1895. The Government Licensing Bill.

Manawatu Herald, 10 August 1895, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 1895. The Government Licensing Bill.

The Government are making another attempt to ptt the licensing business upon a better footing. That they will iu66f«d appears Ytry doubtful,

but should a new Bill be passed we trust some better care will be taken in its draughting so that its provisions canrtot be so roughly broken through as was instanced in the Levin licensing case. By a clause now introdused the Government have confessed that the liquor trade got the best of them over that deal. The Act was supposed to have specially protected the existing houses and also the inhabitants of the districts the licensed houses were situated, but owing to bad draughting the lawyers succeeded in removing a license to a district where it Was impossible to take one. If the new Bill gets no nidre care given it, other defects may crop up and the last case be worse than the first. The Bill may pass but it will want most careful scrutiny.

The brewers are much interested in the new Bill and waited upon the Premier a few days ago. They went for one purpose and staid long enough to make an open confession which should strengthen the hands of the advocates of aome reform in licensing business* The Premier can hardly have been pleased to have heard the confession as it was but a few nights previously he had asserted that licensed houses were most carefully kept and the police were most strict; in their supervision of them. Never theless the convictions in Christchurch for breaches of the law opened the eyes of members and they refused to be comforted with the statements of the Premier. Now the brewers must add fuel to the flame by licensees by excusing the breaches of the law because "licensees gene rally sold out at a price that with the rent made it impossible to for the incoming tenant to make things pay without breaking the law.' 1 These facts were known and winked at, and probably would have been continued but for the strong expression of public opinion, and this has forced the brewers to say " in all new leases provision was being made to allow the landlord to refuse the transfer of a license to an objectionable person, or at a price that would be impossible to anyone to make things pay." It is well for the public that the landlords have become acquainted with the knowledge that the public intend holders of publicans' licenses will have to obey the law as well as the re?t of the colonists, and nothing clearer has yet been so publicly and authoritatively stated as was stated by the deputation to the Premier that iD the past licensees did not think it was part of their duty to consider the laws of the colony so far as it interfered with their particular trade. Having got this fact, that the law must be obeyed, impressed upon licensees is one step towards getting better conduct in the management, of their monopoly.

The Eev. Gtorge Aitkens will D.V. hold service on Sunday morning at Shannon and in the evening at Foxton.

The morniDg preacher at the Methodist Church is Mr E. Westwood. Evening, Rev. S. Barnett, subject, "The Bible," which local sce ptics are invited to hear.

The Union Bank of Australia has reduced the salaries of its employees by u.-n per cent. It is rumoured that the officials of another Anstrali in Bank doing business in this colony is likely to suffer in the same way.

Mr Ga=coigne's " learned friends " will learn with regret that, from what he Raid in the Comv on Thursday, that he will shortly b •. leaving for Australia.

In Wellington there is a public house for every 687 persons.

On Thursday evening last a parlour concert was given at the residence of Mia Carter, Moutoa. The room was large and the audience larger, a goodly number of Foxton residents having driven and ridden out. A varied programme was executed and refreshments served. All appeared to enjoy thenißelves.

Always read the paperß young man, then you will not go aatray. The hurdle-racer Eahurangi died at Christchurch and the fact was duly published in the newspapers taken by a certain licensee in Levin, yet in close vicinity of this establishment an energetic barber, well known in Foxtoa was smilingly backing the horse as his fancy. He secured certain bets and his feelings can be better imagined than described when he learnt his horse had died prior to the completion of his book. This is doing business in too keen a manner.

Our readers will not forget the Tea and concert at the Public Hall on Tuesday.

The barque Thurso, Captain Stennard, was wrecked on Wednesday morning while being towed out of Greymouth bound for Capetown. There is very little hope of getting her off. A number of holes have been knocked in the bottom of the barque, and she is full of water.

Information has been received that Constable Seymour, stationed at Pukearuhe, was found dead in a paddock near the school house with a bullet wound through his forehead, and a revolver lying by his side on Wednesday. No cause is assigned for the act.

Mr Eobert M. Greenfield, an old settler in Wellington, died at his residence on Wednesday in the 62nd year of his age. Some years ago he wa3 connected with the saw-milling business as the firm of Greenfield & Stewart.

An old song coramencoß " What will they say in England ?'' This is what an English paper says, and though prophetio is just a bit previous : — Habitual topers are to be photographed in New Zealand towns. Each saloon is to have a gallery of them, and the proprietors who supply liquor to them are to be fined.

Smart little boy ! " Where was Magna Charta signed?" asked a teacher in a South London board school. " Pleaße, sir, at the bottom."

It is calculated that in large ocean steamers like the C mpania mure than 8,000 arficles of glass and china are broken on every voyage.

The new photograph of the heavens which in hpipg pr< pared hy London, B rlia, and PftduinD Mtroaomers ihowa 08,000,000 stars.

The Borough Council invites tenders for road formation and fencing.

Minnie Dean is to be executed at Invercargill on Monday morning. The City of Melbourne Bank has olosect its doors.