THE NEW LICENSING ACT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 248, 5 December 1873, Page 4

THE NEW LICENSING ACT.

The Southland ' Weekly Times' thinks that— ■ " The Licensing Act, 1873, although confessedly not what its promoter hoped to pass, contains an element which the. crusaders against alcoholic drinks will probably accept with a certain amount of thankfulness, as being a move in the right .direction, an instalment. •of the ';sd measure'of relief from the evils of the drink traffic which they hope ere long to obtain. The most important^, -the~^.nt77seo fl/, ff)r" the permissive veto by two thirds of the inhabitants-of each district, and reads thus— : No certificate shall be granted if a memorial against' the - granting of the same, signed by at least it wo-thirds of the adult residents in the ■istrict. be presented to the Court.' ■'ually this gives to two-thirds of the Bu',t population of A ' any district the Power to prevent the licensing ,of any zation, the same number of signatures against the granting of any certificate within the district, might be obtained as against the issue of any specific certificateThat which will however go a towards making the Act infjpgfiAr Im that it provides no maebinery S the vote 3 of any^£fes^^t^lnop;?slo ) eS'it^iv«}j -*■ 'the S-r tt ground, jbtjjjjjSfile' of houses which a bad reputation or *2&&acfous on dome |raund or other, >{^ Tt the (fCestion of the evils of the liquor traffic, the veto" is not likely to be very often recorded. The opportunity given by section twenty-six,' to any householder personally to object, to the granting or renewal of a license, is attended with so much trouble, as' to makg it rsM?p*tely certain .that excebt either-T<* from'the operation _duty to cised. There does not appear to be much in the change of the constitution of the "Lansing Court upon which the friends.bf the Act. can fairly congratulate' themselves. The Act certainly provides that no person either directly or indirectly connected with the liquor traffic shall bfc qualified to be appointed, or to sit as a rnember of such Court, but unless outside influence is brought to bear to secure the appointment as members of persons who fVom principle oppose the trade in toto, we cannot see that the Court will have much" advantage over the old Licensing Benrh " •Some doubt ha» existed as to how the new licenses arc to be dealt with expiring ibe Act comes into operation. This HfeMkjj^led—his Honor the Superinthe 1). b'f *

and.subsequent elaiues) fcv the vearcoinmeiicing nn the first July proximo, In the meantime any licenses that expire before the 30ih .Tune proximo, may be renewed under the local Ordinance, with the understanding that the licensees must take the necessary steps to obtain licenses, under the new. Act at the proper time in. March next, and that a proportionate deduction from the fee for the new license will .be made for the unexpired term' of any license that may be required to be issued under existing circumstances."