The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY JUNE 2, 1885. THE LICENSING MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2005, 2 June 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY JUNE 2, 1885. THE LICENSING MEETING.

- The manner in which the Borough Licensing Committee dealt with the application for a new license at the annual meeting yesterday, was a Biirprise to the great majority of the people of Masterton, who will now verv reasonably ask themselves the question, What is the use and object of the local' option poll 1 The ratepayers elected a Licensing Committee, three of whom were ostensibly in favor of extending the number of licenses in the Borough, these three being at the top of the poll, and afterwards decided, by a majority of nearly two to one fcligt'a new house may be opened, At the meeting yesterday, the usual reports, presented by those who, from their occupation, are best qualified to know—the policewere to the effect that another licensed house is a necessity; that the house on account of which the license was applied for is in every respect suitable, and that there was no objection to the applicant. Yet, two memhers of the Committee expressed themselves to the efi'ect thatthe house Wdsnot required—iD direct opposition to the wishes of the ratepayers, one of them making the curious observation that the number of parlors was too large, which showed that it was only meant as a drinking shop; forgetting that everybody who can afford it has two, three, ormore parioursinhisprivatebouse. The decision was given by three votes to two. We have already recorded the names of those who voted for and against the issue of the license. With the public, we ask the committee, of what use was the local option poll 1 The clauses in the Licensing Act which provide that the voice of the people shall be taken, were, in the opinion of Sir William Fox, the very essence of the measure, and he fought hard to retain them when the Bill was discussed in the House of Representatives,; yet the very men who profess to follow him, deliberately set them aside, and, though Ihey are elected by the people, say that they prefer to follow their own opinion, An hour after the decision, requisitions were out and being signed, asking the committpe to resign, and signatures are being freely appended, many ratepayers naturally feeling that they have been deprived of a privilege,