The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 29, 1881,

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 886, 29 September 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 29, 1881,

The new Licensing Ant is much the same as the old one in its general provisions, but there is a very important change in the constitution of the licensing benches. The Licensing Committee, as it is termed in the new Act, consists of five persons, elected annually. Resident Magistrates will act as returning officers, but will not be eligible for election on the Committee, Three members, provided the chairman be one of them, will form a quorum of the Committee. Hitherto a Resident Magistrate lias been chairman of the Licensing Bench, and his experience and legal knowledge has made him, as it were, master of tie situation In this district, for example, Mr WiRDELL has exercised a considerable influence in the administration of the Licensing Act, and it is only fair to acknowledge tlmt his efforts have uniformly been cirected to raising the character of the licensed houses of the Wairarapa by insisting upon good houses and good management. In our new Licensing Committee Mr Wardell's services will be unobtainable, and there must be for this reason a certain loss of efficient and reliable guidance, Another of the few new features in the Act is to be found in the local option clauses, which prevent the Committees from increasing the number of licensed houses in any district without the consent of the ratepayers; but even if this consent be given, the Committees themselves may decline to increase the number./ The fees fixed for publicans' licenses under the 'new Act are as follows Within the limits of a borough, £4O; outside these limits, £25;, for iMvjne license, XI; for an accommodation house, such sunn not eMfeding,,£2o that the Committees maFdetermine j for a bottle license,-.£4(1; and /for a ■wholesale license,, £2O is clarged/ The, Act ! is l'ather severe on si w orog£?')MS^ The evidence necessary

there be more liquor than is reasonably required for the use of the persons residing therein, it shall be deemed prima facie evidence of the unlawful sale of liquors by such persons." This should be 11 warning to settlers who keep a big keg of whisky in their houses. The regulations of the Act as far as regards private clubs are apart from the i general provisions of the Act. They provide that existing voluntary associations of a genuine character shall be chartered on the payment of an annual fee of £5. In establishing a new club, not less than 10 persons shall apply to the Colonial Secretary for a provisional charter. After 12 months a permanent,charter may be obtained if the Colonial Secro-. tary be satisfied of the bona fide' character of the undertaking, What j the general result of the new Act will be it is hard to say, but it is extremely probable that under it few new licenses will be created. The members of the Committees who represent the interests of existing licensees will be averse to new houses, and the representatives of the temperance organisations will be of one mind with the friends of the publican in this matter. As publicans and teetotallers take the greatest interest, in the administration of the new Act, it is very probable that between them they will return the majority of members oil any lictnsing committee.