New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4898, 2 December 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2.

As the quarterly'licensing meeting is now almost upon us, it will not be out. of place tq offer, a few remarks as to the practice of the Court, and also on the licensing-ques-tion generally. The duty of the police ,to report to the , Court on the conduct of the. licensed i houses throughout the district, and the accommodation provided'by each, and also bn afay houses for which a new:license .is desired, is a moat salutary prbvisioh, 'and where;' as is the ca§eUn Wellingtpn,. duty-is performed witH perfect'integrity of purpose there cannot be "anything paore conducive-.to- further the proper ahd respectable: conduct of the houses-and the interests ,of; the : general - Reports are often heard r ih ’the Court that sq .and so permits drunkenness upon his premises, bpt''mention is. never made as to the quality of the liquor sup-, .plied.lt would be a. moat;-invidious position for the-police; if they had to: report to; the Court their own particular; tastes. with regard to, the aromatic! schnapps of one publican and the colonial ale of another; but undoubtedly! there should be‘some legislative provision : made for testing the quality of the liquors offered fof sale to' the public,; The mere application of water in the process of “letting down”'is a most innocent matter, but where a publican, to cover, the overplus of aqua pura, ,iises : - bhiestone and other noxious drugh to deceive his customers, means of detection, and a penalty 1 so Severe, as to absolutely disqualify " him from carrying on dr again entering the business,, should: be provided by the law. - It ; is . true. that , the. : publican can be reached under ‘the Adulteration Acts, but the procedure is both cumbersome and expensive, and what is wanted is. a,cheap and summary method of deal-: leg' with this ; class of offenders. An authorisation to the police to take and carry: ;away )t samples ! of liquor 1 whenever! andi:whereyer<they should .think fit,‘seal-; : ing them in the presence of- the publican;' I and thenhandingthem over for analysis | to some duly, qualified person, would imeet the requirements in this direction; if 1 provision were made for summary. coniviotionpn- the analyst's, certificate. ?; We hope to see some. simple legislation on .this question next Bession, and have' ho jdoubt th&t it would have most beneficial !results. The most objectionable portion Of ,the procedure is -the systerfi of pfesenting ’petitions to , the' A Gourt for J: and ! against jlicenses; These petitions are bolstered ,up in‘a most ridiculous manner, teetotal 'societies on the ; one, hand, and would-be, publicans on the.other,?having no scruples and using every endeavor to obtain signatures, the provisions of the Act as,,to jthe householdets’; qualifications beihg' disregarded in : almost every case. ' Another important matter is the giving of notice to the'-applicant ’ of intended' objections, hnd ! We think that the provisions of the Act bo .Jn^re., specific on this point. The* notices are generally,,vague in;their character,.. nud-.it - is most unfair to theapplicant that' he I should' not have the, inost precise/information s of the grounds of opposition intended-to be offered at ■ the '-'hearing; i '-','There is a provision ’of, the A'Ct important cliaracr. !fjer"- which has;.! .become almost., a., dead .letter;' and . that is Vas . to the" hours of ! employment of barmaids. The hours of work aro ,strictly limited, ten hours in the -day ;being J prescribed ! hs /the l period ’'of ■work for females in a bar, and there is a f further provision that no female shall,be employed 3 in" ■» bh.tr before the' hour, bf eleven ; in ! the® forenoon and after eleven post meridian. Wo have-never heard any complaint*, bn • this ground in thVCourt, and.,we .are.sure there- is every-causorfor? it. The lawhas .made special provision; for.a class of,women who above all others, are the. most hard worked, and- it 'should l hh seen: that they reap the full benefit intended to be conferred upon them; 'Perhaps a fews empty-headed young men,' who like to indulge in B,ma}l flirtations and

meaningless complimentseventothe stroke of midnight, might feel it a hardship if this rule were strictly enforced, but all feeling men who have a regard for the welfare of woman will agree that the carrying out of the law.in this respect is only a most proper and just matter. Before leaving the. subject, we' must express the hope that the; reports of i the police as to the conduct;and. management of 'the various houses in the district where transfers are .asked for, will receive the consideration .which they merit,-and- that the Commissioners will cease to give that weight to petitions, which in-ithe past "has been so undeservedly accorded.