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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 67, 9 June 1877, Page 3

. TO THE EDITOE. Sic,— Tp the Unsophisticated, '[. the annual Licensing Court pf • a district appears rather an important day cpn-, liected as it is so intimately with the morality of the inhabitants, the comfort of travellers* ■. and' m. our district with -the very safety of their lives, as several of the licenses are granted at 'a' nominal fee m consideration that the ferries over dangerous rivers are attended' to properly; A simple person would think that the constable of the district ; would be very closely examined as to the manner m which those houses and ferries have been, conducted, and also, whether any complaints had been made to him by the travelling public, or whether any petitions against any of those houses had be.en presented for the cpnsidera-. tion of the Court, but all such ideas and supposition s are merely signs of ignore ant simplicity. The Court knows better than to consider the annual renewal of anything more than simply a* matter of form to be got through with as little trouble and delay as possible; 1 At the sitting of our Court' which took place op. the sth. instant, .there were five cases brought before it for re-newal-'or; transfer, but the work all over m less thana quarter L pf ah; .hour: Arid that although a numerously signed paper was presented against one of thepersons applying for a renewal, accusing him — Ist, 6f-habitual drlinkenness'; 2nd, of adulterating the drink; 3rd, of not attending, to his: ferry. 'And also, m the absence of one of the members, of the Court, who* yet was living within two minutes walk o£ tlie Cburthouse, but was a few' inintttes late Q^iiig to the fact of his having received no intimation whatever as to the day or the hour where the ' Court was to meet: Just as. he reached the Courthouse he was mot by' the 1 crowd;, who told him he was too-

late, all the licenses had been granted. I think Sir, you will agree with me that such haste and want of enquiry to say nothing of the discourtesy to the absent membei% refh-i'tsonytliingbut credit upon our Licensing Court.— l am, &c, Simplex. ". Otaki, Juno 7th, 1877.