MCCARTHY'S HOTEL.

THE FINAL WARNING,

} At <tho quarterly meeting of the WanI ganui Licensing Committee yesterday, ■Mr Marshall .applied for a renewal of the lease of 'McCarthy's Family Hotel, which had been adjourned from the an- [ nual meeting. 'Mr Marshall explained the conditions of the lease under which Mr McCarthy ibeld the hotel from the owner (Mr O'Hara). The lease, which was for a term of ten years, had 2% years to run. Mr McCarthy had the option to purchase, tlie hotel during the currency of ithe lease for a slim of £6000. At 'the- annual meeting of th© Committee the application had been adjourned in order that 'Mr .McCarthy .and Mr O'Hara might confer with a view to reducing the price, as £6000 was considered exorbitant. However,. the consultation had proved result-less, for not only dkl Mr O'Hara refuse to reduce the price, 'but he had stated that he did not object to the license lapsing, as he could derive sufficient income- from the build-ing-without a, licence. Mr Marshall said that Mr -O'Hara had insisted upon Mr McCarthy putting two coats of paint on the .building, as required by the conditions of. ihis lease. This, Mr Marshall ■pointed out. was'-a -useless expenditure, as the building"would have to be rebuilt in tho near futua-e, but it served' to show the position M.r O'Hara .took up in the •matter. Mi' McCarthy 'had agreed_ to do the required painting, and ""he thought that with;patching the building i•'could be made to -serve till the expiration of tlie lease. Mr Marshall concluded by emphasising the hardship which would'be inflicted upon Mr McCarthy if tiie Committee ordered the immediate rebuilding of the hotel. He therefore submitted that the- Committee might adjourn.." the .application, for twelve months (in order that an arrangement might be come to). .Mr Stanford : Why won't th© hardship fall on Mi- O'Hara?

Mr Marshall: He Jias "got his back up" and £iays lie won't do anything. He does not care if the license is lost. So it -will fall on the tenant, who has only 2£ years of his lease to run.

The chairman said tihat as a matter ■of law the landlord should be made to erect a new 'building. Mr Marshall: But he refuses to do so. Therefore the license -will lapte and the tenant will suffer.

The chairman.: You are asking us to sacrifice the interests of the public (so far as their Tight to proper accommodation is concerned) untal the lease exijires. Do think the Committee should be put in the position of having to< consider the landlord and tenant in preference to the public? The 'Committee retired to consider the ■matter, and on resuming reported as follows —The Committee is unanimously of opinion that the application must be adjourned for tihree months to enable the licensee and tihe owner to come to a, satisfactory conclusion, and that if during that period they do not arrange for the rebuilding of the house, the license will lapse. "That," said Mr Stanford, "is the final -warning." Mr Marshall suggested that it would be better for Mir McCarthy to secure a new site and erect a hotel.

■Mr Stanford.: If he deesl so, the Com? mittee will show the greatest cansideration for Mr McCarthy.