COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3256, 29 June 1911, Page 5

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS.

LICENSES REDUCTION BOARD

[UNITED PEESS ASSOCIATION—COPYEIGHT.] MELBOURNE, June 23. _ The Licenses Reduction Board is closing seven further hotels in Melbourne. Since the board was created 502 hotels have been closed. Compensation amounting to £194,989 has been paid. The chairman made a comparison of the system with local option. He pointed out that in a similar period under the latter system New South Wales closed 33S _ hotels. He estimated that by 1914 Victoria would close SOO, and New South Wales 425, under local option. There was a tendency in overstocked districts to vote for continuance. NE TEMERE DECREE. The Anglican Church has drawn up a pastoral letter dealing with the Ne Temere decree, which will be read in all Anglican Churches on Sunday. In protesting against the decree it is stated to be contrary to public policy, and will tend to encourage wife desertion, even bigamy. BARRISTER FINED £5.

A barrister has been' fined £5 for contempt of court for being absent when a client was arraigned on a charge of murder. • FEDERAL POSTAL REVENUE. The Postal revenue shows that no loss occurred through the introduction of penny postage. The revenue from June Sth to 21st was £151,000, compared with £141,00 last year.