PARNELL LICENSING ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 35, 10 February 1909, Page 3

PARNELL LICENSING ELECTION.

■ ; >,-'> r (Tdthe Baitori- ; •--•;•-.- •• • * that ■iv ■ : *®t*r? ?* trade-sided pronouncement is made as to ;the attitude .of -. the Paraell No-Ucenw party in respect of the election ol; the Licensing Committee, I jwishto state that party's position. Believing that a vote of. 3646 for No-license and 3408 for Reduction, .as against .2662 for Continuance expresses clearly the opinion of "the •Pariell electors that; air. licensee; whether continuous publicans' -or 'tern-' porary conditional licenses, should be reduced as much as possible, tbeNo r licen>e committee considers that, strictly, no conditional licenses should be granted. However, as it was evident that conditional licenses would- only be asked for in tisepiect/itf two places, EJlerslle. r»cethe Committee decided, . after: considering all .the! circumstances, to take & moderate view,and (I) to be content with the refusal of tine conditional: licenses to one '.place only; (2) to agree! to any committee df reputable "moderate" • electors, or a- com mittee with two Prohibitioniete in it; (3) to take no part as to" the selection of the hotela to be closed, although they thought one should lie' the 'hotel at''St. Heliert; .and (4) StoV-thereby save the local bodies the expense of a contested election. Mr: Ernest Daris, on behalf of this trade, suggested that in respect of Potter's Paddock and the two licenses usually granted - to- the .trotting, clubs*, reduction would be reasonably applied by refusing a .license to one bar and letting the other jone ''alongside 1 telT as much liquor as possible. This; proposal seemed absurd to my committee, and equivalent to closing one barroom of, say, any Queen-street hotel; ai»d~ie»vinig"ell~the other rooms alongside to' sell to their usual customers; aond- also to the former patrons of the closed room, and then eaying , that reduction had been applied to that hotel.. Mr. Davis being informed that the trotting clubs depend considerably for their revenue upon the sale of the liquor-licenses,...and,- las .committee being deeply .interested . In- such sale, "adopted an attitude of unbending determination", to conserve the brewers' financial and voting interests, "irrespective of the probable cost to local :boaieß."' Mj. committee /has. decided, against Potter's Paddock on' the gro'unidi . (1) TTiat, Jt is a general recreation '"•■'■ ground, frequented by ail classes .of ■" ■ -people; „ . .■ ; ■ '*". ' '.'' '"'; ■V''S (2) that it is right alongside the only .:' ■ . hotel in the Epsom district which i . ie being closed by .the popular ■ '-vote;,-;,-.'.. ,--~._"_// -.;_ ".;. ■'"..'■' (3) thai it isiibw actually within the ■ - . Eden, licenaing :Wstrict, and on the change of electoral boundaries - coming into operation wili benight ■, - on'the boundary of a No-licence. .'-■■• ;;. .district;'.";,- 'r.'^'.J ''.;- ;. ; '/. -\ that' it m clpse", to jthe CoeUey- •• ...vHbme; ■—.->■ ~ ■'■'■•■'■ ~'-~ '-/■■ ?**■[", (5) th^^.AucUan^ ; Bacinj^u*:has .v, ite course claims far ouiweighing~thoee> of the trotting clubs. One diflSculty my committee has felt and duly cbneidered—-tiiatfit seems unfair to grant a license'to one powerful club and to refuse it,to two; small ones—but, on the other hand, the committee has' found great difficulty in finding anyone; not financially interested who has. a. good word to say for trotting club liquor bars. For the cost of the election the local bodies ;will,. therefore, hayei to thank the trade.—l am, etc., :-.\__- : ■:.•;:.•.,. -■■' :-, j : ,- G. Wi L. RiOBINSONi., Hon.' Seel ParneJl; Electorate .... ; ■.-■ : : - : .• -■■'■• ■-■-■■;- -Temperance League.