LICENSING ELECTION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2212, 5 February 1886, Page 2

LICENSING ELECTION.

Toihe Editor, Siii.—ln the columns of your; journal I ohsefve by an advertisement from tho Returning Officer of the Bbrough'Licens'-' ing District that nine citizens have been nominated as candidates for the office of a Licensing Committee, and that only five/can he elected, and that'the 11th of this month is fixed as the day'of election. A circulir bearing on'ti.is question has been duly circulated for the information of the electors,'the writer' of 'which sets forth' that Messrs T. E. Chamberlain, E. McEwen.J. Harding, A. W. Hogg, and J, flessey are nien of liberal viows who m> I infer, enjoy duijng the heat of ji day's work a glass of beer, and who do not wish to preyont their fellow citizens from enjoying the same comfort, and that every facility should be given inf ropuring .this beverage and keeping down monopoly, In the borough of Wanganui, no doubt you are aware, thero is a population of about seven thousand persons, and thero are in that borough 22 licensed houses, but in the borough of Mastertoii, with a population of about 'three thousand, persons we have only four. At the last election upon the' local option clause of the Licensing Act the people haye decided that an alteration in this''direction was dosirable, and that more accomodation for the travelling public was absolutely necessary. Itwp'uldbe'.well that our; fellow, ..cjtjzens should bear this in mind at the id,ay,Qfjelection. The writer/of the cirWprperapd'ip puts it forcibly before fce a 1 ! cam;

dates-Messrs Cave, T. Brown, T. E. Price, and .S Kingdon-aome of whom, I infer, can enjoy a glass of beer like other men, have been selected to perpetuate a monopoly and vest the sale of spirits iii the few present occupiers. But it will, no doubt, be borne in mind that neither the extension nor the suppression of licenses will prevent a man from having his glass oj beer when he likes it, An increase of licensed houses, as the writer observes,-will not further drinking or drunkoness any more than additional stores or butchers' shops will increase the consumption of food and meat. On the contrary it will provide increased accomodation and civility to travellers, produce a better distribution of capital, and make money circulate more freely, instead of making a few wealthy at the oxoense of many. It will elso add very materially to the Borough Revenue, enabling'the Council to make various much needed improvements, and relieve ratepayers of heavy taxes. Voters are therefore respectively requested to bear these questions in mind, and only to vote for the men of progress who are not pledged to. monopoly; who will stand in the way of expanding tho trade of the.town. .Lam, etc., Ele.cior,