THE LICENSING ACT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10055, 28 May 1910, Page 5

THE LICENSING ACT

NEW ZEALAND WINES NOT LIQUOR. AM IMPORTANT INDUSTRY PROTECTED. W. G. Lapih was charged before Mr Graham, S.M., at the Masterton Court ytsterday, on the information of Sergeant Miller, with having liquor lor bale within the ;.o license district of Masterton, and with selling 1 quor. Mr Blair appeared for the defend-' ant, and admitted the facts, but claimed tha sale of New Zealand made wines did not come within the Licensing Act. It was urged on both sides that the case should be brought before the Magistrate to decide. He contended it had r.ever been sug • gested that persons could not sell New Zealand wines in quantities of not less than two gallons without a license. New Zealand grown wines were not included in the term "liquor" 'The whole scope of the Licensing Act was dealing with licenses to sell liquar. The legislature never had the slightest intention of interfering witn the w.ne industry. There were seven hundred acres of land devoted to grape growing, from which 300, 000 gallons of wine were made, and the Government had spent £2.000 to £3,000 a year in fostering that industry. I: would require the strongest language in the Act to make it possible to take away the rights of the vignerons of New Zealand without compensation. If Mr Lamb was guilty of selling wine within a"no-li-cense" district he was equally liable for selling it outside. After hearing fudher argument, his Worship said he had given the mitter considerable attention, and agreed with counsel that section 146 of the Act was contradictory of section 3. He had decided to dismiss the case. This applied to both informa tion3.