THE LICENSING BENCH.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 21 July 1880, Page 2

THE LICENSING BENCH.

«, [TO THE EDITOB INANGAHIXA TIMES.] Sib,— ln your Friday's issue there is a report of the proceedings of the Eesis dent Magistrate's Court, in which sorne remarks from the Bench appear, in re lation to the duties of an hotel-keeper, to which I desire to make a few words of reply. Firstly, the Magistrate would lay it down as a hard«and»fast rule that no licensed person shall absent himself from his premises, fie appears to regard it as a crime that a publican should absent himself from his house. In my opinion it is more praisworthy on Hie pa»t of a publican to go honestly to work, in order to honestly increase his income, than to hang about the door idling away his time. It might be well enough in townp, where population is hourly on the moye, and where legitimate business is continually to be done ; but even then, 1 submit, it redounds very much more to the credit of an hotel-keeper to go to work, than to dawdle his time away at his door«post. In country localities, it is well known, that there is hardly any business done in the hotels, except in the evenings, as men are at work all day, and floating population there is none. In many localities Saturday night alone is the only time of the week when there is any public»house trade to be done, aiiJ in such cases it would be nothing but ops pression to tie an industrious man down to the four corners of his premises. How miny men for years past hare been able to pull through simply by throwing in their own earnings into the till. If a publican is doomed to dryrot on his own premises he could certainly utilise his time making his own groe, and trying his hand at lambing*down, whenever the opportunity offered, but that kind of thine would not suit everybody, and there can c no question as to which is the greater evil. In my mind there is a too great disposition evident in our worthy R.M., to assume the role of a legislator when dealing out the licensing law. lam wil.« ling to give him credit for perfect honesty of intention, but I cannot help thinking that he is altogether too straightlaced in his notions regarding hotel-keep* ing for a community such as this, I can quite understand the Court desiring to see the law administered in its integrity, but I cannot understand the Court straining every nerve, and stretching eyery principle of the Act. so as to make the burden as intolerable as possible. Our disabilities as a class are bad enough at the best, and rfquire no amplification at t'le instance of the Bench. If as much trouble were taken to enforce all Acts of Parliament as is done with the Licensing law — well. I don't know what would happen. Loaded wilh a license fee quite r.ut of proportion to the profits of busi» ness of late year 3 ; charged with the maintenance of a large establishment; rated higher than any other class in the community ; dogged by the polioe and bullied by the Bench. The calling is no bed of roses, and if the Bench when puttiyg these finishing touches to the legislation of the land, would but hold these circumstances in view, hoteUkeepers might have less to complain of. I am, &c, SPIRITS.