LICENSING MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXV, Issue 181, 14 August 1903, Page 2

LICENSING MATTERS.

♦ NEWTOWN HOTELS KEPT OPEN.

PROTEST FROM NO-LIOENSE LEAGUE. THE PRBMIKR DEFINES THE SITUATION. PBS PRESS ASBOOIATIOH. Wellington, AugUßt 13. A large deputation representing the Newtown No-liceoße League waited on the Premier this afternoon to prates'! against the Newtown hotelkeopers keeping their premises open, despite the refusal of the Committee to grant licenses, and the more recent decision of the Court of Appeal in favour of the; aotion of the Committee.

Rev, Bond, a member of the Newtown Licensing Bench, said the publicans were defying the law, defeating the ends of justice, and carrying on an illegal business, Were it not for hie traditions he would be inclined to opon an hotel in order to test the legality of the whole thing. Rev. Isitt Slid if the police would not take action private individuals would, but he did not think it right they should have that position forced upon them. It was not right to cssume that the matter was mb judice until the Court said it was so.

Mr T. Taylor, M.H.R., failed to see what right any executive had to interfere with the police in the discharge of their duty, and he protested against any power in the country tyicg up the hands of the pclice.

The Premier first asked who was responsible for the illustrated slip which had been circulated containing a picture of a policeman with an arm round his neck and a hand over hi* eyes, and a motto at the foot " Oa duty in Newtown," the initial " R. 8." being on the encircling arm.

Mr Isitt and the President of the League admitted they knew of the issue of the slip, but denied responsibility.

The Premier said it was hard when he was endeavouring to do bis best in a difficult position to be met with contumely. However it would not influence his action one way or the other. He said there was general consensus of opinion that until the Courts decided whether or not a mandamus should issue the hotels should not be closed. The Government were advised by their law officers in this matter, and had to be guided thereby. Long before there was any tension the law officers had advised that the opinion of Mr McGregor, of Dunedin, that licenses could not be issued was wrong. The case bad now gone to the Privy Council. He would again submit the whole position to the Crown law officers and obtain their final opinion, phce the matter before his colleagues, and give a definite reply within a week. The question | was not so simple as the deputation imagined. If the polioe took aotion and the houses were closed, and some hotelkeeper took the oase through tbe Courts to the Privy Council and the Council decided the hotel ought have a license, the. hotelkeeper whose business was ruined would petition Parliament for compensation. The present position was an extraordinary one in regard to | Bruoe and Newtown, whioh nobody had forseen. The Premier intimated that for some I weeks past a measure dealing with the question of elections had been under consideration. The question was whether there should be the same provision for dealing with the local option poll as for the eleotion of a member of the House, or should there be a separI ate Court to try cases. He was inclined to favour three magistrates as a ! tribunal.