The Southland Times. INVERCARGILL: FRIDAY, NOV. 7, 1873.

Southland Times, Issue 1815, 7 November 1873, Page 2

The Southland Times. INVERCARGILL: FRIDAY, NOV. 7, 1873.

The Licensing Act, 1873, although confessedly not what its promoter hoped to pass, contains an element which the crusaders agaiust alcoholic drinks will probably accept with a certain amount of thankfulness, as being a move in the right direction, an instalment of the full measure of relief from the evils of the drink traffic which they hope ere long to obtain. The most important feature of the Act is found in section twenty-three, and provides for the permissive veto by two-thirds of the inhabitants of each district, and reads thus — " No certificate shall be granted if a memorial against the granting of the same, signed by at least two-thirds of the adult residents in the district, be presented to the Court." Virtually this gives to two-thirds of the adult population of any district the power to prevent the licensing of any public house within it, for under an organization, the same number of signatures against the granting of any certificate within the district, might be obtained as against the issue of any specific certificate. That which will however go a long way towards making the Act inoperative, is that it provides no machinery for taking the votes of any district, nor does it give direction for the utilising of existing machinery for that purpose, but places upon the objectors the burden of marshalling their forces, and making the requisite demonstration. On this ground, excepting in the case of houses which have either obtained a bad reputation or are obnoxious on some ground or other, apart from the general question of the ! evils of the liquor traffic, the veto is not likely to be very often recorded. The j opportunity given by section twenty six, to any householder personally to object to the granting or renewal of a license, is attended with so much trouble, as to make it moderately certain that except J either for personal reasons, or from the operation of a strong sense of duty to oppose the liquor traffic under any and every form, it will be but seldom exercised. There does not appear to be much in the change of the constitution of the Licensing Court upon which the friends of the Act can fairly congratulate themselves. The Act certainly provides that no person either directly or indirectly connected with the liquor traffic shall be qualified to be appointed, or to sit as a member of such Court, but unless outside influence is brought to bear to secure the appointment as members of persons who from principle oppose the trade in toto, we cannot see that the Court will have much advantage over the old Licensing Bench. Herein Mr Fox has much reason for regret that the measure did not pass in 'its original form, giving to the ratepayers the power of electing a Licensing Board in each d ''strict, and he may be excused indulging in despondency as to the little prospect of " improvement till the whole power of regulating the liquor traffic in all its branches is placed in the hands of the people." Mr Fox's explanation of. and comment upon the Act, in his address " to the people of New Zealand," sets the matter very fairly forward, and renders the Act intelligible. He says — "There are two ways in which it is proposed to give a permissive veto, or, as it was well designated by Mr Gladstone, a local option, to the people. The first, and in my opinion the most efficient, ia that known as Sir Wilfrid Lawson's plan. By this it is proposed that tvvotuircls of the ratepayers in a district; may, by a vote, declare that the Permissive Bill sball be in operation, and after that no alcoholic liquors may be sold iv such district. If so carried, no attempt to make a change can be made for three years, when the question may be tried again. Another form of giving the popular veto is that known in this Colony as the Auckland clause. It gives to twothirds of the adult male and female residents the power of prohibiting, by a signed memorial, the issue of any particular license, and, of course, they can if they please prohibit all licenses at once, just as Sir Wilfrid Lawson's clauses enable them to do. They may put down a single existing public house, or put down all, or prohibit any new license, just as they please. The absolute power is in the hands of the , two-thirds, and if they so decide, the Licensing Bench cannot issue a license to the hou*e or houses, against which the public will pronounces. My Bill originally contained the clauses known as Sir Wilfeid Lawson's. By an amendment made in the House of Representatives, the Auckland clause was inserted in an eajlier part of the Bill, and on its being carried by a large majority, I threw over the rest of the Bill, including Sir Wilfrid's clauses, in order to secure what was so great a step gained. There were other good clauses in the Bill which I had to sacrifice, especially the Ohio clause, which makes a publican responsible for deaths and ruin inflicted by his trade ; but to have persevered late in the I session in the attempt to carry more, j

would almost to a certainty have lost what was already graded". I think you will aeree that I exercised a wise discretion. There is also a considerable improvement tn;)de possible by the Act in the constilution of the Licensing Bench. You know that it is under the protecting wing of Licensing Benches, consisting of uupaid Justices of the Peace, that all the immense evil has grown up, and that drinking houses have been scattered broadcast through the land. The Justices of the Peace had proved their unfitneßS to be entrusted with the power of granting licenses or taking them away. My Bill as introduced proposed to give to the ratepayers the power of electing a Licensing Board in each district. I believe in trusting the people with the management of their local affairs. The opponents of the Bill, however, did not ; j and this part of the Bill, after a hard fight, failed to pass. It was, however, enacted that the Licensing Court of each district shall consist of a Resident Magistrate | ' trate and such other persons as the Governor may appoint. If the Government takes care not to appoint the class which hitherto has done the mischief, some improvement may take place. But lam little hopeful of any improvement till the whole power of regulating the liquor traffic in all its branches is placed in the hands of the people. From the description I have above givenyou will see that the people of New Zealand have now, practically to the fullest extent, though net perhaps in the most convenient form, the power of freeing the Colony from the intolerable bondage of the public house. It will, however, depend on their voluntary action, and will involve very considerable labor and some expense wherever any section of the people determine to shake off their shackles. But they can do it if they, will."