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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 72, 27 June 1877, Page 3

TO THE EDITOR: Sir, — May I venture once more to trespass . on your valuable space m answerto " Saxon," who" rushes so valiantly to the defence of our Licensing Court. ' I shall not descend to, notice his personalities, as the matter is purely of a public character, and personal in- ' fective is riot argument. ' I alluded m my letter to Jno individual m particular, but simply to the action of the Court on" the occasion m question, m its corporate and public capacity, which is I presume as Jiable to error as any other public body, and'as fairly open to honest criticism. Of the gentlemen composing the Court I have the greatest personal respect and can fully endorse " Saxon's " closing panegyric; still that does not 'prevent me • expressing my humble opinion as a simple man on their public acts, since my comfort and safety, and that of the community, at large, depend indirectly on those acts.. I did think, and I still think, that there was unnecessary haste m the decisions of our Court on. the day m question. 12 o'clock was I believe the hour at which the Court was supposed to meet ; the absent member reached the court-house at 25 minutes past 12 by his watch, which was then -within 5 minutes* of the telegraph^ time, and is so still without having been altered inT;he least. Still he arrived there, as " Saxon " facetiously remarks, only m time^to be too late. An hour and a half is rather a lengthy discrepancy m. these days of telegraph clocks ; still " Saxon "» has promised to prove that -nearly .faoo hours were consumed by the Court m the " careful consideration " of the five cases laid before it. I await the proof with much curiosity. With regard to the second of "Saxon's " remarkable vindications, I think he might have spared my veracity there, as I am not aware that I denied the examination .of the district constable. . I think he will find that " closely " is the emphatic word m the sentence, and if the .constable was closely examined m the time occupied by the Court" Pam perfectly satisfied. Still I think the constables own words are worthy of some ittle weight; corroborated as they are by several respectable persons "who were, present, to whom I have spoken. The-! constable distinctly' told me that no ■question" was asked him about the Wai- | kanae house, which was the one against-! which the petition was sent, but which the Court never saw, as it was m the hands of the absent member, and known to be there by the Court. Had the constable been questioned about it, or thehouse at Ohau, he says he would have objected to the renewal of both licenses, as the petition against the former' was m his opinion quite valid, and the accommodation at the latter quite unworthy of the name. Was this I ask careful consideration? In the third place, with all due deference to ■ " Saxon's " opinion, I still hold that the absent, member was treated discourteously, whether consciously or not I cannot say, and that even if the letter of the law had been adhered to — which " Saxon " will find 'was not the case if he will kindly look at .clause 20i of the Licensing Act, ten minutes would have sufficed to calj. the absent member, or asCertain that he would not be present, and on such an important occasion I think a few minutes', or even hours', delay would have bee^ held quite legitimate, m .order that the Court should- give its full consideration to its work. Whether the absent member would have been ■ able to effect any reform m the licensed houses of our district is. a matter, of doubt ; but that there is ample room for reform I fancy even "Saxon" would not deny if he had often to put up a night at some of them. I for one would hail as. a public benefactor the man, 1 whoever he might be, wlta wotild bring

about the reform so much needed m several of our roadside inns. I could add much more upon this important subject, but I fear I have already exceeded a reasonable demand upon your space, so leaving my* reputation for truthfulness unhesitatingly m the hands of all who know the facts of the case, — I am, etc., ■„, l Simplex.