LIQUID REPRESNMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81895, 28 November 1906, Page 3

LIQUID REPRESNMENTS.

(To liu: Editor.)

Sir—Your coii'e.spo.Hk nl "Mudciaie' has toucned on an important mauei when lie expressed Hie hope that the booths lor the saie of alcoholic liquors ai the foithe. ming shows, racemeeiings, etc., wi:l be well and carelul v conducted, so as to p.event the disgraceful -cen>:s which were witnessed on some foimer occasions. But how it can be jiuzzles me not a littc- The licensee is a business man, lie pays a considerable sum to the socieiy lor the privilege of having th e monopoly or such sales at the place indicated. He does not do it for the benefit of the pub ic, even though it is said to be for their accommodation, but he does it for profit. NoV, it does not lie in the Older of bu-iness for a mail to open a ,'S.iop and not ties it e -10 sell as muce of the commodity he deals in as oe can pei.suode his customers to buy. lie i- no! to blamed for sy doing; and these who think to find men who will go mio any trade on oilier lines ;ii'e seeking for what ll: cy w ill not find. No doubl the doa.er in strong drinks would like his customers not to become intoxicated, and at the sam time to drink a largo quantity. Unfortunately for the sellers this cannot be. The more drink he more drunkenness is a plain and certain result. Then on the side of the customer, what man is there who would not be offended, and rightly so too, if the shopkeeper told him he had bougat enough and advised him id go ivine? Tile customer shou d know wh t he needs, and at any rate, always thinks 110 knows. It would be a good thing if "Moderate's" advice were taken by the coming- licenseies, but it is too much to expect. There is, however, a remedy anil that is to have all these meetings without intoxicating refreshments; tl.o Exhibition is so conducted and *with manifest advantage—no disturbance. Our New Plymouth Exhibition another case in point, no liquor alio mi disturbance. It would be a good tiling if our Licensing Committee, refused all these conditional licenses for this year at least, and tried the new experiment. The horses would run. the sun shine (or the rain come down) just the same; those who came for racing would get it, and if any come for a drinking spree merely .they would be better away. I am ok., OBSERVER.