PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1881.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 956, 29 June 1881, Page 2

PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1881.

If we except the question of Local Government, there will be nothing before Parliament this Session of more social importance than the beneficial alteration of the Licensing laws of the Colony. As our readers are aware the Bill is progressing through the ordeal of Committee with more celerity than was thought possible, in view of the conflicting elements at work. We propose now to give our readers an outline of what that progress consists. Family hotel licenses are not to be granted ; the clause being definitely struck out. Clubs are to be licensed, and the sale of liquors restricted to the hours from 6 o’clock in the morning to 12 o’clock at night, an alteration which will subject them to the surveillance of the police ; but we should like to know if Sergeant Bullen (a Sergeant is the lowest grade in the service allowed to enter a Club) would have the temerity to invade the sanctity of our local Club if a Minister, or some other magnate, were playing his rubber, over a cigar and whisky after the prescribed hour. A struggle was made to reduce Club license fees from £2O to £5, but the vote passed at the former sum. A lengthy discussion, led by Mr. DeLautour, took place on the amount of fees to be paid by licensees generally, especially those inland, and in small country places. He said they could not afford to pay £3O, and moved that the fee be reduced to £2Q. Sir W. Fox, with others, objected, arguing that “ the great privileges given ” warranted an annual tax of £3O. Many amendments pouied in on the top of Mr. DeLautour’s, and eventually a compromise was effected by Mr. Reid moving that licenses outside Boroughs pay £25. This was agreed to. Our country friends should remember this, as, doubtless, they will receive the intelligence with satisfaction.

An attempt was made to reduce license fees within Boroughs from (proposed) £4O to £3O ; but the original sum was passed. A somewhat inexplicable altercation took place on the. question of imposing a £1 fee for a “ New Zealand Wine license.” Mr. Bastings moved, “That it be increased to £20,” contending that these licenses would be abused by the sale of other than New Zealand wines. Mr. Wakefield and Mr. George strongly supported such a license, as being an encouragement to a valuable local industry. An “ encouragement ” to native industry by instituting an additional fee on the sale of the very product of that industry ? Certainly, even the £1 is absurd, but to attempt to raise it to £2O seems to be a queer way of patronising home consumption. Why any additional fee is required, we cannot say. There is no such license required to sell Australian wines; and by parity of reason a separate license might be suggested for New Zealand beer. Verily our legislators strain at gnats and swallow camels. The £1 fee was ultimately adopted. Packet license fees were fixed at £lO for vessels over 50 tons, and £5 for vessels under 50 tons register. Wholesale license fees were raised from the proposed £lO to £2O, on the motion of Mr. Andrews. Conditional licenses are to pay any sum not exceeding £3O, according to the term, and in the discretion of the Licensing Committee. At this stage progress was reported; but, so far as we can observe of the 108 clauses already passed, the Act is a great improvement on the existing law.