THE LICENSE PETITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3072, 17 December 1908, Page 5

THE LICENSE PETITION.

FORMALLY BEFORE THE COURT. ADJOURNED UNTIL JANUARY 11th. At the Courthouse at Masterton yesterday morning the petition by the License Party at Masterton, that the Local Option Poll be declared void or be invalidated came on for hearing. The Bench was occupied by Messrs W. P. James, A. D. Thomson and Dr. A. McArthur, S.M.'s.

M" P. L. Hollings, for the respondents, was the only solicitor present, and he stated that circumstances had arisen which he understood rendered it imperative for the petitioners to request an adjournment of the case. Mr Skerrett was unable to be present in support of the petition, and Mr Pownall, who had been entrusted with the working up of the petitioners, had been stricken with a serious illness. Mr Hollings said ha did not propose to enter any opposition to the adjournment in view of the exceptional circumstances, and suggested as a convenient date on which to hear the petition the 11th January (Monday). It was expedient that the matter should be decided as early as possible, and if that date suited the Bench Mr Hollings said it would be convenient so far as he was concerned. Mr James said that the Bench had been discussing the matter of an adjournment so far as a date was concerned, and Mr Hollings had hit upon the day agreed upon by them as a suitable one. Their Worships were agreeable to adjourning the matter until then.

Mr Hollings said that he agreed to the adjournment subject to his action in so doing being, without prejudice to his right to move that the Court had no jurisdiction regarding certain grounds set out in the petition. He wished the Court to say that in this respect his position in the matter would not be affected, as such a matter should really be brought up at the commencement of proceedings.

Mr James replied that the iact of the adjournment would not place the respondents in any less favourable position than they s'cood then. Mr Hollings thanked tne Bench, and suggested th?t as it might not be desirable for the visiting Magistrates to spend Sunday in Masterton the hour of hearing might be fixed at 2 p.m., to aiiow of Dr. McArthur coming by the midday train from Wellington. The JtSench agreed with the suggestion, and the day and hour of the hearing were therefore fixed at 2 p.m. on Monday, 11th January.