MEETING OF LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5126, 28 August 1877, Page 3

MEETING OF LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

A meeting of licensed victuallers was held yesterday at the Star Hotel, for the purpose of discussing the Docal Option Bill. Merchants and brewers were invited to attend, but there were not many of thorn present. There was, however, a good attendance of the retail dealers. Mr. Magiuity, the President of the Licensed Victuallers Society, was voted to the chair, and explained the objects of meeting, observing that many of the provisions of the Bill were very unjust and oppressive. He read from the draft of the Bill, which he pointed out had passed the second reading in the House, and was to be committed on Wednesday. He thought if the Bill were discussed calmly and temperately some good would come out of it. When the Conference met it was thought that if some of the members of the Licensed Victuallers Society (who had as great a horror of drunkenness as anybody) waited upon those gentlemen to discuss the matter, some resolutions would be arrived at which might have a practical effect; but they said the question could not be entertained by them as it had not been brought forward at the first meeting of the committee. Mr. Duncan said he attended in consequence of having seen the advertisement calling the meeting, and he hoped those who had called it had some programme or resolutions before them. He quite concurred in the Chairman’s remark that some action should be taken in the matter. Whilst giving every credit to the promoters of the Bill for being actuated by good motives, he did not think such important interests as those involved in the Bill should be hastily dealt with. The interests .of a large, influential, and most respectable section of the community were seriously affected, and it was their duty to point out that their rights should not be invaded with impunity. The Chairman read a report of the meeting held in Dunedin on the 14th August, and said he had been telegraphed to from Christchurch, Dunedin, and Timaru, to ask if a deputation came up from Wellington if the society here would appoint a delegate to go with them to wait upon members in reference to the Bill. He urged the importance of having a cpmpensation clause introduced into the Bill. Mr. Duncan pointed out that the meeting at Dunedin very naturally thought that the Bill would never pass its second reading, but it had passed its second reading; at the same time several of those who supported it intimated that it would be very considerably altered •in committee. However, as now time was so very short, it was necessary to do something immediately. A conference with their representative should be held if possible next day, and steps should be taken to postpone the committal of the Bill for a fortnight. He did not think the good sense of the House would consent to the passage of such an iniquitous measure. Some members of the society present remarked that Mr. Travers had had their support at a recent election, but-had voted for the second reading of this Bill nevertheless. Mr. Roxburgh said he was surprised to see so few merchants present, whose interests were deeply mixed up with this question. He looked upon, the licensed victuallers’ trade as one of the moat important in the community. The trade, which had been assailed more or less ever since ha was a boy, had assumed enormous dimensions, and was not to be dealt with hastily, as this Local Option Bill proposed to deal with it. Hotels were amongst the necessities of the age, , and legislation should provide for their being properly conducted. No one objected more than he did to drunkenness, but so long as a publican conducted his house properly he could not see why the police or anybody else should interfere with him. He objected to the Bill. It proposed to place the power to shut up houses in the hands of those who really were not capable of forming a proper judgment on the question. He believed the supporters of the Bill meant well, but they acted hastily and injudiciously. A morejrespectable body of men than the licensed victuallers of this city were not to be found anywhere, as had been remarked by Mr.. Duncan on a recent occasion, and their rights and interests should not be interfered with in this unjustifiable way. Hotels were not meant as flytraps to catch working men and induce them to spend in their houses wh'at ought to be spent on their families ; nor did they as a rule act as such. For men with comfortable homes the publichouse had little attraction. He suggested that the merchants and brewers should be invited to join the licensed victuallers in waiting upon the members for the city, to consult as to what action should be taken in reference to the progress of the Bill before the House. Mr. Coker moved, —That this meeting is of opinion that the chairman should ask the members for the city and any other members for the Wellington provincial district to be good enough to receive a deputation from this meeting on Wednesday next, so as to learn their views on the Local Option Bill now before Parliament. Mr. Duncan seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr. Maginitt said before they separated he wished to remark that the local Press had not treated the licensed victuallers fairly, the N.Z. Times excepted. Mr. Roxburgh said it would be very desirable that every one should have a copy of the Bill. The Chairman said he would take steps to get copies supplied. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.