LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1690, 12 June 1929, Page 5

LICENSING COMMITTEE.

ANNUAL MEETING. ■ TRANSFERS AND LICENSES. The annual meeting of the Central Otago Licensing Committee was held in Alexandra Courthouse on Thursday of last week when there were present Mr H. J. S.M. (chairman), Messrs C. Murphy, L. Faigan, E. Morgan, W. Jelley and W. Reid. The police were represented by Subinspector Fahey and Sergeant Armstrong, the Health Department .by Mr [ F. Varney and the following solicitors were present: Messrs T. Sunderland (Alexandra), Fletcher (Lawrence), Parcell (Cromwell), Harlow (Clyde) and Gilkinson (Queenstown). •Mr Dixon, in opening the meeting, said that the committee had asked him to say that it views with strong disapproval the prevalence of after-hour trading in the Central Otago Licensing District generally. The restrictions, he said, would have to bo more strictly enforced, and the committee was determined as far as the law allowed to deal most severely with all offenders. THE LAWRENCE LICENSES. The question of the return of license to the Borough of Lawrence was the most important matter that was dealt with by the committee. However, no decision was arrived at as the solicitor for the applicants (Mr T. Sunderland) asked for an adjournment of a month. The following applicants from Lawrence were received:—Messrs James | Hopkins (Camp Hotel), James Kelleher (Railway Hotel), Colin Goodlet (Commercial Hotel) and Mrs Sarah Airey (Airey's Hotel). Mary Cameron Perraim (Railway Hotel, Heriot) also plied for a license. ( Mr Sunderland explained that a .memorial had been signed in Lawrence objecting to the return of public houses iu the borough. Mr F. B. Adams was representing the objectors, and counsel had arranged that nothing further should be done in the meantime pending a declaratory judgment by a full court of Supreme Court Judges. Ho therefore desired an adjournment for a month. In respect to Kelleher's application, the chairman said the Health Inspector's report on the Railway Hotel was very unfavourable, to which Mr Sunderland replied that it was the best in Lawrence. The chairman said that from the outside it appeared to be the worst, but admitted that it was brick. The matter was adjourned till July i, to Lawrence, providing that if no judgment had been received in answer to ttie application a further adjournment could be empowered by the clerk, of the court. -TRANSFERS. Tho following transfers were granted:—Charles Graham to Francis Richard Loughran, Rae's Junction Hotel; James Albert Arthur to Eric Dickson Campbell, Garston Hotel; Thos.'

I E. O'Connor to Duncan M'Kenzie,' 1 Waipiata Hotel; Thomas Rutherford to ■ Donald Finlay Murohison, Eichardt's Hotel, Queenstown. LICENSES RENEWED. Licenses were renewed as follows: — William John Anderson (Victoria Hotel, Cromwell), diaries L. Clark (Bannoekburn Hotel), Michael F. Perkins (Commercial Hottft, Omakau), Flevie T. Blanchard (Commercial Hotel, Roxburgh), Charles H. Drake (Jockey Club Hotel, Omakau), Thomas Tikey (Blacks Hotel, Ophir), David Provan (Bendigo Hotel, Alexandra), William Milne '(Central Hotel, Arrowtown), John James Sheehy (Miller's Flat Hotel), Robert P. White (Goldfiolds Hotel, Roxburgh), Thomas Hotton (Royal Hotel, Naseby), Patrick Cairns (Commercial Hotel, Clyde), John Morrison (Grand Hotel, Roxburgh), Mary Ann M'Carthy (Mountaineer Hotel, Queenstown), Albert;■, George Ackweli (United Kingdom Hotel, Macraes), John Thomas Nieol Grant (Commercial Hotel, 'Cromwell), Murdoch Urquhart (Ferry Hotel, Shotover), William H. James (Royal Oak Hotel, Arrowtown), George Stanley (Stanley's Hotel, Macraes), Alexander R. Spenee (Ranfurly Hotel), George Larkius (Dunstan Hotel, Clyde), David H. Jones (Bridge Hotel, -Beaumont), Leon Curtis (M ( Bride's Family Hotel, Queenstown). George A. Coughlan (Wanaka Hotel, 1 Pembroke). In reference to the Eanfurly Hotel, the chairman stated that the committee .wits of the opinion that there should be a better hotel at Eanfurly. It had the best stand in Central Otago,-and the licensee -would have to understand that something better was required. LICENSES ISSUED. The following applications for licenses were granted:—Francis B. Loughran (Raes Junction Hotel), Alphonso W. Johnson (Golden Age Hotel, Roxburgh), Arthur A. Clatworthy (Ancient Briton Hotel, Naseby), John Sheehy (Ettrick Hotel), Frank Peacock (Welcome Home Hotel, Lowborn Ferry), Frank Paget (Junction Hotel, Arthur's Point), Donald F. Murchisbn (Eichardt's Hote.l, Queenstown), Andrew Smith (Strath-Taieri-Hotel, Middlemarch), William W. Wheatland (Hartley Arms Hotel, Clyde). ACCOMMODATION LICENSES. Renewals of accommodation licenses on the same terms as previously were granted, as follows:—Mary Hunt (Albion Hotel, Luggate); Ellis, J. Williams (Nevis Hotel, Nevis), Margaret GaJv'in (Shingle Creek Hotel), Henry, J. Roberts • (Clark's Junction Hotel), Peter G. 'Shiels (Styx Hotel, Paerau), Henry J, .Forward (Pass Hotel,-, Eye-

j burn),- Eobert Mee (White -■■' Horsi | Hotel, Beeks), Mary B. White (Crowi | Hotel, Wedderburn), the annual licensi to be £7 10s; Thomas Holland (Otagi Central Hotel, Hyde), James Christit Knowleso(Mount Earnslaw Hotel, Glen orchy), Henry J. H. Lewis (Welcome Hotel, Long Gully), Arthur Tilburj "(Moa Creek Hotel), James D. Patersou (Cardrona Hotel, Cardrona). An application for waiver was also granted to Mr Paterson. Accommodation licenses were granted as under:—Samuel J. Craik (Chatto Creek Hotel), Thomas James Truesdale (Newtown Hotel, Matakanui), Eric Dickson Campbell (Garston Hotel), Duncan M'Kenzie (Waipiata Hotel), Samuel ,M< Knight (Railway Hotel, Ida Valley)* ■-. " ADJOURNMENTS. The following applications for the renewal of licenses were adjourned until the September meeting' of the committee: Alexander Biaeh (Caledonian Hotel, Alexandra), pending completion of repair requisitions; Aubrey Douglas (Vulcan Hotel, St. ■Bathans), pending necessary improvements; Henry T. Jones (Bridge Hotel, Miller's Plat), pending improvements; Arthur Keegan. (Patearoa Hotel). The last-named application was held} up owing to convictions i«r after-hour trading. The conduct •of the house would be inquired into again in September. In respect to the Criterion Club Hotel, Alexandra, the application of William T. Waters for a renewal was adjourned for three months. The following applications for the renewal of accommodation licenses were adjourned until the September meeting:—Charles L. Blakley (Railway Hotel, Otitrehua), pending improvements; William J. O'Connor (Ida Valley Hotel), insufficient bathroom accommodation.; Ethel E. Bennison (Kingston Hotel, Kingston), pending completion of repairs. CONSIDERATION OP OBJECTIONS. Mark J. Hargrave (Shamrock Hotel, Ophir) applied for a' renewal of

his license. At a previous meeting of the committee' it was decided that the applicant was not a suitable person to hold, the license. He was given three I months (till March, 1929) to sell'ottf;| —Mr T. Sunderland submitted that'tlie committee's decision was unjustified. . The applicant's character and conduct since December had been exemplary.' He was now a. total abstainer, and kept a perfect, house.—The chairman said that it was obvious that'tfie applicant had benefited by the fright given him. —Mr Sunderland submitted that his client was entitled to a rehearing in view of fresh facts that could be produced.—Sergeant Armstrong said that since the applicant had been before the committee his conduct had been all that the police could require.—The application was adjourned until September, when a report on .the. applicant's conduct will be asked for; if is favourable the renewal will be granted. The application of Maurice Joseph Purton for a permanent transfer of the license of the Railway Hotel, Lauder, to John Byan, was considered by the committee.—Mr Sunderland, for the applicant, said that Byan, the owner of the premises, desired a license in his own name in order to make "it possible for him to sell as soon as he could secure a buyer.. He had previously been adjudged unfit to hold a license, but since "then had been granted a certificate of fitness in Dunedin, for the purposes of" arranging a sale.—The committee finally decided to grant not only the permanent transfer, but also the- application for a license. The application for a renewal of the license of the White Star Hotel, Queeustown, by Linton Mann, was objected to by the committee on the ground that the kitchen attached to the hotel was too small. Gilkinson, who appeared for the applicant, stated that it was the intention of the Mount Cook Motor Company, the owner of hotel, to xebuild in the near future. In view of this the company did not feel inclined to build a new kitchen, which was, in effect, what the Health Department demanded. Mr F. Varney gave evidence of the inadequacy of the kitchen.—The license was renewed.