The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5127, 29 August 1877, Page 2

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1877.

♦ The licensed victuallers of Wellington have adopted a very sensible course of action Avith regard to the Local Option Bill. A meeting is to be held at noon today at the Polytechnic, at Avhich the [representatives of the city are invited, to attend. The Bill is naturally looked upon by those engaged in the legitimate business of hotel-keeping as a most unreasonable interference with their rights, privileges, and vested interests, and a very large section of the public, unless we are greatly mistaken, .regard it as a most unnecessary measure. Hotels are licensed not for the benefit of hotelkeepers, but for that of the public Avho frequent them, and so long as they are well conducted they supply a want felt in every community. This is a vieAv of the case hot very generally taken into account by the advocates of the Local Option Bill. They appear to look upon a licensed victualler as a person licensed to rob and plunder his fellow-man with impunity, and beyond that they cannot go. They fail, to recognise the vaatness of the trade, the amount of capital at stake, the convenience of the public, and the variety of interests Avhich are concerned, nor do they recognise the justice of giving compensation to a man deprived of. his, license through no fault of his own; It is the duty of the Legislature, unquestionably, to see that hotels are ■properly conducted, and to provide the necessary machinery for regulating them, but beyond that .we cannot see .that they ought to interfere. The advocates of the Local Option Bill, many of them at all events, are actuated, no doubt, by the very highest' motives;, but they do pot take a practical view of the question, ’ They are enthusiasts who entertain the most sanguine expectations'of the result of a most crude and unworkable Bill, and one which Ave think the goo.d sense' of the Legislature willuot place on the New Zealand statute book. That volume iis full enough already of unworkable Acts, Avithout adding another to the long list of them. ’At the' same time, 'when it; is taken into consideration that the Bill has got as far as the- second reading, it is high, time that the public, and those especially who are directly interested in the trade, should bestir themselves in the matter; and although the licensed victuallers are rather late in the field, there is yet time to bring legitimate pressure to ,bear upon the Legislature, and prevent that body from hastily passing this Bill,, in ignorance, perhaps, of the very widespread feeling which prevails against such an unnecessary and coercive measure, not only amongst the hotelkeepers themselves, but with the great majority of a free people. It was remarked at the meeting held at the Star Hotel on Monday last that Mr. Travers' had received the support of the publicans at a recent election, but had nevertheless voted for the second reading of this Bill. It may be, liOAvever, that the hon. member does not altogether approve of Its provisions, and intends to alter them in committee ; but this he will doubtless explain for himself at the Polytechnic today. A large attendance may be expected at the meeting, which is not confined 1 to the retail traders in fermented and spiritous liquors ; members of the Assembly, mercharits, brewers, and others of the public Avho take an interest in the matter are invited to attend. There is no reason indeed why Mr. Pox himself, the parent of the Local Option Bill, and his coadjutor, Mr. Stout (if the latter can be spared from his forensic duties in connection with' the ' Wcoka Maori case), should not be present also to ‘ ‘ hear the other side,” and to advocate their own view of the mutter, if they think fit.; A full and fair discussion of the question cannot be productive of harm. We have little doubt in our mind on which side the weight of "argument must rest ; but that is no reason Avhy both sides should not be heard. , The evils of , drunkenness everyone admits, and it is unnecessary to say anything on that head ; but that ithe Local Option Bill would produce a great moral reform Ave do not for a moment believe. The measure, if passed, Avquld be found to be utterly useless in practice, however sound it may appear in theory to the small number of its enthusiastic'admirers. It would probably inflict much hardship in individual cases, and be, of no real benefit to the public at large. <