The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1879.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1092, 24 June 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1879.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious

or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Gnawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

Copies of the Licensing Laws Amendment Bill, 1879, to which a meagre reference was made in our last publication, has been now issued fr ora the Government printing office at Wellington, and the public is in possession of the full intentions of the measure, which contains only twenty-five clauses, and repeals no other Act except in so tar as its pro. visions may be contrary to the new one. The essentially new feature of the measure is its permissive character : Clauses 9, 10, and 11. These provide that on some con. venient day in the month of March, 1880, and thereafter, at the same time in every third year the rarepayers of each licensing district—which are to be identical with boroughs, or wards of boroughs, ridings of counties, road districts outside counties, or such other districts as the Goveraer may for the purpose constitute—shall be called on to express their determination as to whether the number of publicans licenses in the district may be increased. This expression of opinion will be taken by ballot, under the provisions of the Regis-1 tration of Elections Act, 1876. If there be a majority against granting any new licenses, the licensing bench for three years can entertain no new applications.' If, on the other hand, the ratepayers deoide that new licenses are required, then the licensing bench may use its own discretion in refusing or granting applications, subjoct to the following provision : "Notwithstanding anything in tho "licensing laws continued, the "Licensing Court shall, at every " meeting, entertain any petition or " memorial troni the residents or " ratepayers of the district, having "reference to the granting or re"newal of a license, on proof of " the authenticity of the signatures •' thereto ; and if it shall appear to " the Court that a majority of at " least itwo-thirds of the residents " or ratepayers in the neighbourhood " of the house in respect of which a ".license is sought or to which it re"lates, object to the granting of "jthe application, such Licensing " Court shall refuse to grant such ".'application. The Licensing Court "shall, in each case, at their dis. "{cretion, determine what is to be " deemed * The neighbourhood* for "Jfor the purpose of such Act, and "shall take such measures by receiving evidence or otherwise as "(shall be necessary to determine " the number of residents and rate- " payers therein." Thus it will be seen the public has a second time a voice in the matter, and on this occasion not in general terms but in reference to a particnlar individual application, and the body of the public then called upon to act is narrowed down to the " residents " and ratepayers of the neighbor- " hood of the house is respect of " which a license is sought." Residents, aocording to the interpretation clause, nre described as all males and females of twenty-one years of age and upwards. So far, the Bill is not caleulated to provoke the opposition of that powerful body, -the Licensed Victuallers, for the ; prohibitation of new licen3es, if carried into effect, would have the [effect of increasing the value of ' those already exissing. Clause 16, however, seeks to deal with the houses already licensed, by giving power to two-thirds of the " residents" to close them, and without compensation. Another provision which is certain to provoke hostility, is that which seeks to make the charge for licenses throughout the colony uniform, that is, the city hotel and the house in a sparsely settled district shall each pay the same license fee. It is manifest that the city house can afford to pay a higher fee than the wayside inn, and either the latter must be unfairly taxed, or the former let off to easily, if a uniform fee is to be charged.