LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2438, 1 March 1909, Page 6

LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTION.

THE CANDIDATES

The No-License League lias lioniililted the following for the Gisborne Licensing Committee:—Messrs G. E. Darton, J. Somervell, and M. .McLeod. The Licensed Victuallers’ Association lias not yet ipa.de any nominations, 'but the candidates they at present have in view aro Messrs A. Dewing and D. Hepburn. ACTION OF THE TRADES ' 'COUNOIL.

A special meeting of the East Coast Trades and Labor Council was held on -Saturday evening -to consider the advisability of nominating representatives for the Licensing Bench. The vice-president (Mr. T. B. Sweet) occupied the chair. Messrs J. Somervell (Borough Councillor) and Mr, Jas. East, representing the No-License League) were granted permission by the chairman to state tlieir views on the subject before the Council. Air. -Somervell said he appeared 1 on behalf of the burgesses to -urge upon the Council not to cause an election foj- the Licensing Bench on account of the deplorable financial state of the Borough Council. Mr. East said that tho Trades Council could achieve no more by di* rect representation than by the pros ent nominees, as the main work of the Licensing Committee was tapered down, to the point of ten or eleven o’clock closing and unconditional licenses, and he felt assured that this Council could taken no exception to their decisions on tho Licensing Bench which was, practically speaking, representative of tlie workers. Mr. East, on being asked if he thought the No-License League would, in order to save the expense of an election, consent to withdraw one of their nominees to allow the Trades Council a representative, stated that he was quite confident that the League would not grant such a concession.

On the retirement of Alessrs Somervell and East, the Council thoroughly discussed tho subject, when the following resolution was carried unanimously- —“That this Council having in view the present state of the borough and county finances, deems it unwise to force the district to 'an election at the present stage, hut at the same time does not wish this to lie taken as a preedent on any future occasion,—as- they wish it to be distinctly- understood that it is their full intention to go, to the poll in future if necessary.~