COMMITTEE DESIRES LEAD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 267, 24 August 1949, Page 2

COMMITTEE DESIRES LEAD

Standard for Licensed Hotels (P.A.) THAMES, August 23. Giving evidence before the Licensing Control Commission to-day, the chairman of the Hauraki Licensing .Committee (Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M.) said the committee thought a standard should be set so that the committee could endeavour to see that standard maintained. The Commission consists of Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M. (chairman), Messrs L. C. Nisbet and B. Barrington. Mr A. L. Tompkins appeared as counsel assisting the Commission, and many counsel representing various interests Avere also present. Mr Tompkins opened by saying that this Commission was ah inquiry under the Licensing Act 1948. One of its issues Aims to determine which licences Avere considered necessary, also applications for new licences. With reference to Thames toAvnship, he said, many licences had been granted in its halycon day. To-day it had 13 hotels, and its population was between 4500 and 5000, which gave it about one licence to each 300 of population. The average for NeAv Zealand was one licence to 1500 of popu-j lation. Sergeant Baylis gave a check taken from March 6'to March 26 of casual and pei’manent boarders at the respective hotels. Mr Freeman gave the populations of the principle towns in the Hauraki Licensing District, and said the question of licences had been considered by the committee. It thought there may be seA r en licences to be retained and six to be cancelled. A large number of publicans gare evidence regarding the number of casual boarders catered for during the last 12 months. Mr R. E. Champtaloup, for #the Automobile Association (Auckland), gave an extended report on the accommodation position throughout the Hauraki Licensing District. The first application for an additional licence came from the Hauraki Plains area. It Avas submitted that the tOAvnship of Ngatea was justified in having a publican’s licence. The sitting will be. continued tomorrow.