A LICENSING POINT.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1918, Page 2

A LICENSING POINT.

PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR SUPREME COURT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Opotiki, Friday. When an application for an accommodation license for Teneatua Village, inland from Whakatane, came before the Bay of Plenty Licensing Committee, Mr H. Elliott, ou behalf of applicants, applied for an adjournment in order to wait and see if a license lapsed elsewhere, enabling the committee to grant a license to Taneatua. The adjournment was opopsed by Mr. Chalmers, on behalf of opposing memorialists in the Taneatua and Waimara districts, including Maoris. Mr, Selwyn Mays, of Auckland, for the police, said the point at issue was, probably, the most important one any licensing committee had had to deal with for years. If an adjournment was granted it could be only on one of the following conclusions:—Either the members of the committee were deficient mentally, or there had been collusion. If the majority of the committee resolved to grant the adjournment solely for the purpose of dropping the license, that majority must take the consequences, as they would have exceeded their powers and the case must go before the Supreme Court. Mr. Mays then called evidence to show he was ready to go on with the case. In reply to a question, Mr. Elliott also said ho was ready to proceed. After a retirement, the chairman announced that the committee had decided to grant an adjournment by a majority of four to two. Mr. Mays asked for costs, but the request was refused.