Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3822, 29 May 1891, Page 3

[advertisement.] MASTERTON LICENSING ELECTION - STATEMENT TO THE ELECTORS. The question to be decided at the ballot box: Will you ieturn men pledged and bound to a certain policy, or will you return men un« pledged and unbounded, and "free to adjudicate with that honesty and fairness which ought to characterise every public tribunal. tic is perfectly true that excess in drink is the cause of a great many evils, social and otherwise, but it is grossly unfair to say that Mesßrs Dalrymple, Eton, Heron, W. Perry, aud Williams are in favor of a policy which will perpetuate that evil. It is W the Legislature you must look for a stoppage of the sale of drink. When an Act of Parliament forbids the sale of drink and makes Prohibition universal, then will be the time to consider it. But what are the results of such a suicidal policy as prohibition in this township, singly: Fiistly: The enormous increated taxation to every ratepayer by reason of therms of £270 a year license fees, whicflßo to the revenue of the Borough, the less of one sixth of your gas consumption, by the depreciation in value (and consequently loss j}£ rates) on hotel properties, and by the general depreciation in property. Secondly: Ruin to respectable citizens, who do not deserre it, by a public tribunal prejudicial apainst them before that tribunal is elected. Thirdly: The total want of accommodation that would exist in the township for the scores of people daily coming in from the surrounding districts. fourthly : The encouragement of crime in offering a bonus, as it were, to sly grog selling. And havicg suffered personal loss to the pocket of every ratepayer, haying accomplished the ruin of licensees and owners, having injured the township, do you stop the sale of drink ? No ! ! ! What is to prevent private inuiobtaining liquor in any quantities from outside merchants ? What is to prevent a man buying liquor and drinking it at his own home, which is infinitely worse than doing so elsewhere ? What is to prevent the establishment of a dozen clubs where drink can be obtained by anyone who may get enrolled as a member in any quantity, and without those opportunities of strict police supervision exercised over the Hotels ? What is to prevent the establishment of Hotels on the otfrer bank of the Waipoua River, and outside this LJfeusing .District, where men could get liquor by simply crossing the Waipoua Bridge, and returning into the township to their homes with all the liquor that they required ? From this you will peroeive the folly of prohibition in a single place. Until Parliament makes prohibition universal, you must elect Committees to carry out the Licensing Act in its intents. Listen to what Mr Justice Richmond, one of our ablest Judges, says in Hamilton v Fraser : "The Licensing Committee is a Court of Justice, bound to hear both &es, to proceed upon sworn testimony and to give opportunities for answering charges, which in some cases are 'charges of offences against the law, and in others accusations of a private character," It is also a court which, though not empowered to inflict penalties in the technical sense, can yet declare virtual forfeitures which may involve the loss of large sums of money, and even the absolute ruin of licensees and owners. It is therefore a tribunal which ought to proceed with the utmost caution and *Gtacretion. it is to be hoped that those who have the execuiton of this law will - realise the difficulty and delicacy of their position and give as little occasion as possible for just complaint. It is certain that the cause of temperance, holy though it 'be, cannot be advanced by disregard of the still more sacred claims of Justice. Again Lord Mansfield, one of the foremost English Judges in Regina v Wilkes:—"Discretion means sound discretion guided by law'. It must be governed by rule, not humour. It must not be arbitrary, vague, or fanciful, but legal and regular." Regina v Sylvester, Wightman, {ft, said (where Justices constituted the Licensing Bench)—"lt must be r -understood that we are not at all denying that a discretion is vested in the Justices, but we think that in this case they have not exercised their discretion and that they have acted in an unreasonable maimer as they came to the meeting with a resolution ready prepared." Then, Electors, are you prepared to listen to the words of able and clever judges in the highest positions, or will you be deceived by claptrap into returning a Committee who, if they declare general prohibition as their platform, are pledged to act illegally aud against the spirit of the laws of the country, without obtaining the least beneficial effect. You hare the option, and if you act wisely you will elect Messrs DALRYMPLE, ETON, HERON,\ W.PERRY, and WILLIAMS, not as a " publican's party," as has been represented, but as a party who are pledged to none, but seek to administer the Licensing Act with discretion and justice, and not on a sined prejudice a party as freely cancel licenses, wh&r* *Sere are legal and just grounds for doinj; so, as they will uphold them where there are no such grounds, and will administar the licensing laws as required by those laws and who, to repeat, will not attempt vainly to advance the cause of temperance, holy though it be, by a total disregard *$ of the still- more sacred claims of justice.—We are, Yours respectfully, Justice and Common Sense.

NGTIC E. ' BEG to inform the inhabitants of __ Maeterton and the public generally that I have leased the shop at the corner of Upper' Plain Road and Queen Street. Masterton, where 1 have commenced business as a Pork Batcher. Having had many years practical experience in the pork business in England patrons may rely on setting nothinp but the best quality of Dairy-fed Pork. I patronage. . Pork Pies' and Sausages a speciality. G. BUTLER, Pork Batcher, Corner of Renall & Queen Street. Masterton. '■£>& GOOD GRAZING TO LET. GOOD GrSfaEg for 50 head of cattle in securely " I ftaced paddocks for 4or 6 months, with sheltered cleared Bush Land.. Apply t» * . £> PIJ)WES*IORKR.