OTAKI.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 39, 23 February 1878, Page 2

OTAKI.

1 [FbOM A GoBBESPOifDENT.] i Otaki. is, npj; fpUowing the example of most of the other to wns^a.nd. tow,nships. m theColpny— that is, endeavouring to decrease the number of public-houses,— -. ! and,_.a,s a, consequence^, thp drinlclng and improvident nabits ; of the people." On the contrary ijt is not content with the tw,o Upended, houggs, already existing there and. 'the notoriety it lias already i obtained as. being ahpt-bpcl of intemper r -anc'e. ajnd, ifs concomitant vices,, but it wishes to. get another hppse licensed and thus to add appther . mputh, tp the. • mpnster.that is a^ea^yfajbtenipg .upon, the ruin, and degradation of the inhabitants. The plea is,.;tha,t instead, of increasing the ampunt of drinking,, another hpupe will check it ; but T fail ! to, see. how;- this.: cap possibly, be*, except ; on. the. hypothpsis: that ., bptw;een, vtw.o. ' doors the would-be tippler w,ill pa,ss '! ajpng^-thp- rpad apd fail ; to, enter either. ! T Know tliajt,. unfortunately, :fpr this, argument, ther;e exists a.Bprt'of code.ofr horiour among drinking^people. to, share their patronage, equally where iripre. ' than one hpuse exi.sts ; so that If feap, if; the secopd house: is lj-censed; for eveXy round , th^t is. deemed sufficient npyy^ Wfi then,, be required, for it Uvoujld, npt he fair-play w.ith tbgin % tp\ j spend, only m. one hpuse.. Another argument is,_thas thp one. ,'jhpu^e w_ilj. bp a, check, upon the. other,,. • sp : that belter ; drink "apd better apeoufcmodation fprthp public. will he thp re-, suit of opening another, hpuse .; bjjit it is | well, known that the present hpwpe is ajrnnjy- IfVge. enough, to, accognn^odpte tvv;ice. the number thaj; usually traveh ithiSi way; and if. the drink is. had, orthe.fpodj or bpds npt up to, the.marky why is npt thp cppaplaihji laid, before the.pplipe.oiv thp Licensing- Bench P? „ That, I think v would be a, much more 'likely way of reforming • matters 'rafher thanriin the risk of dempralizing the place by opening, appther drinkinghouse. Two evils will npt. make one good. A ! Bat the "fapt of' tlip. matter. i'Sj the. • present landlord of our hotel iatoo enerr. getic» too enterprising, and, perhaps, • too £vixious to get rich to please Others m the placer He kills his own meat, therefore the butchers would gladly ' see the. T^ind taken out of his sails by: [opening appther house,, apd are par-. ticularly busy m collecting signatures. m favor of it. He imports his own stores and supplies his own workmen therewith, therefore tbe storekeepers ! and carriers do not like him. He is, a, farmer and, sjock-ovsrncr, and eojploys a good many hands, therefore the other tillers of the soil think- they are being badly treated by him. And so it comes fto pass that from this personal dislike jit is discoTsered that .one house is hot to supply the wants of the •'place: the. travelling public have not ' accommodfition, and the. drink,, the food, and. the beds are- apt as: good as ithey might be. I trust the Licensing- Benph will take no notice of thjs,. exhibition, of malice .and illwill,, bu\t simply- consider the f wants of thp public; and if they do j.ttiat, Tarn sure they- will not grant r •iapother license m this little place. I