CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4209, 3 September 1892, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

The Sydenham Licensing Committee,

[to the editor.]

Sir,—A great portion of the Press of the Colony has pronounced judgment on the above Committee umjjtfa misapprehension. $

It is assumed that they have arbitrarily closed a number of houses ■ which had come naturally into existence in obedience to the wishes of the people, As a former resident in this " Model Borough," will you permit mo to contribute a few facta of history that thould modify this opinion.

The Editor of tlio Lyttolton Times (not of a Prohibition journal] said, in the issue of March 11th, 1892" It ■ is time for the people of Sydenham to be up and doing, for the enemy is at ! their gato, To its other shortoom- ' ings, Sydenham ia lucky enough to * j add a short supply of public-houses. Hence the incessant opportunities and temptations to drunkenness, which ' exist in the case of nino Colonial 1 towns out of ten, aro not there, ' Out of sight, out of mind 1 is a maxim that holds good with drink as with 1 everything else, and the artisan of 1 Sydenham seeks other means for ' amusing himself. All this, unfortji--1 nately, is now threatened with fifflk- ' ous change. Sydenham, which year after year lias resented the would-be 1 attacks of the publicans with perfect success, has gouo to sleep for onco 1 during tho late election, and let the 1 choice of its Licensing Committee rest with tho liquor interest," This ono quotation from such a sourco is enough to prove that tho Sydenham publicans wero not in--1 duced to launch out into extravagant building expenditure by any expressed or implied wish of tho people; but ' that the great breweries of Christchurch cast their longing eyes on tho Model Borough, and spared neither time, nor money, nor iniluonce in attempting to thrust their drink shops on an unwilling people. In six years no less than 02 applications for licenses had been made up to JBB2, Then came the fatal sleep of the Temperance party, as referred to by the ' Lyttolton Times.' Tho samo people woke up, if tardily, as tho following facts will show, The Licensing Committee, "StF choice of the liquor interest," met (in 1882) in tho spacious Oddfollows' Hall, which was filled. On ono sido sat nino applicants for licenses and their friends; on the other, the Revs. Cocks (Episcopalian), Cairns, (Presbyterian), and four other ministers (myself one of them), bi'x Borough Councillors, and others. Inspector Tender, on behalf of the police, declared each license applied for to be not re• quired. All the ministers and numerous residents opposed each one. Through the whole proceedings the Chairman of the Committee showed himself to bo a partisan of tho liquor party, and licenses wero granted on the condition of the erection of a suitable building for the very houses, the closing of whiohas "not required" is now deolared to be the action of 4 biassed committee. But if Jnspeotor Ponder and residents tjjon declared them to be not required, it is difficult to seo what oitcumsUnces have sijace transpired to make theWrequifMr'' Consequent upon tho result of the action of the Committee, a monster meeting of Sydenham ratepayers and residents was hold on Juno 12th to express a most indignant protest at tho conduct of the Chairman of the Sydenham Licensing Committee at its recent sittings, and to review the doings of the said Committee. Being personally concerned in the history of Prohibition in the mode borough, I think such facts may be helpful to an understanding of the subject,

John Cbdmp, Wesleyan Minister, Stofoli Nelson, 2oth August, '92.