Licensing Committees.

Manawatu Herald, 26 March 1896, Page 3

Licensing Committees.

The Justice Department, has deto employ counsel to enable the Palmerston Licensing Committee to defend the action being taken in the Supreme Court in reference to the forfeitureof the Post Office-Hotel, Ashurst oa the ground that it is not usual to do so. We can only characterise sach a refusal as a direot slap at the independence of Licensing Committees and trust that if such procedure is usual, an immediate alteration is necessary. To say that a Committee is to bear the whole of the cost of defending its judicial action, or allow a case against it to go by default, is a direct incentive to committee to decline to take any step outside the ordinary routine of t granting licenses and transfers, and to nullify the efficient carrying out of the licensing laws. It is to be hoped that some steps will be taken to bring this matter before the attention of the Government in a forcible manner so that the administration oi justice may not be tainted with unjust actions towards the Licensing Committees.—- Standard.