THE WORKING OF THE LICENSING ACT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 71, 22 February 1884, Page 3

THE WORKING OF THE LICENSING A CT.

As the time for the annual election of Licensing Committees is drawing near,we, recommend the following letter from a correspondent to the « Evening Post' to the careful consideration of our x-eaders. It will, we think, lend them to see that while the present unsatisfactory arrangement continues m force, it is important that more interest should be taken m the election of these bodies than has hitherto been the case. The writer of the letter argues from one point of view, but his remarks are equally telling and to the point if. applied tq the other side : — It is the duty of the members of a community to take all lawful steps to have! anything that reflects discredit on a district removed. While the present Licensirg Act remains m force it appears that abuses are allowed to exist, either through personal motives or something short of bigotry on the other hand. In one district you may find either the Chairman or some member of the Licensing Committee having a personal interest iv a certain hotel, and m another district you may fiud a certain portion of the community bent on doing away with all publichouses, and providing no aconimodation to the travelling public. The writer has seen instances where the Chairman of the Licensing Committee supplied the publican with stores ; m another case where a member of the Licensiug Bench supplied timbdr to a publican to enlarge his hotel, while he sat on the Bench and refused a license to other hotels m the district, where they were more required. In another case, where the police reported most unfavorably of the conduce of certain houses, the committee took no notice, principally on account of pecuniary interests being at stake. While the present Act is m force, giving such power to five irresponsible men, these evils will continue to exist. The Act is good of itself if it were properly adnunisterod. The general impression is that resident magistrates and the police should be empowered to carry out the Act. Tt is not contended that R.M.s and the police are infallible, but under their administration there would be less likelihood of abuses being allowed to exist. We are getting a better class of R.M.s, who do not administer justice m the J.P. style, and as for the police, it is generally admitted they perform their duty m a very efficient manner ; and if it be found that either the B-.M. or the police are lax m the carrying 1 out of this Act, then public opinion can be bronght to bear on them, and it must be amitted that there is power m public opinion. The present committees can laugh at the police, who are supposed to give m a quantity of yearly reports of each licensed home m the district, when it suits their purpose to do so; and if anything more than another tends to prevent the police from doing their duty m this respect, it is the fact of knowing that, after having taken the pains to perform their duty conscientiously, to find their report set aside because it may interfere with the personal interest of some member of that committee. If the Resident Magistrate and police are not capable of carrying out this Acc,they ought not to hold the position they do m their several districts,