LICENSING BENCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 210, 4 September 1900, Page 2

LICENSING BENCH.

CITY,

The quarterly meeting of the City of Auckland Licensing Committee was held to-day, there being present Mr H. W. Brabant (Stipendiary Magistrate), chairman, and Messrs A. Rosser, P. E. Cheal, Maurice, Casey and Evan Bond. Sub-Inspector Wilson represented the police. Suffolk Hotel.—Mr Mahony applied for a transfer of the license, of the Suffolk Hotel from John James Parker to Archibald Hill. Sub-Inspector Wilson .said the Inspector recommended the granting of the transfer. On the. motion of Mr Rosser the committee agreed to the transfer. Freeman's Hotel—On the application of Mr MeVeagh the license of the Freeman's Hotel was transferred from George Henry Brewer to Daniel O'Connor. Grand Hotel.—An application for the transfer of the license of the Grand Hotel from Alexander Johnston to Edward Keating was withdrawn by Mr 0. Nicholson by permission of the committee. Royal Mail Hotel.—The police presented a report upon the management of the Royal Mail Hotel, as instructed by the committee at their last meeting. The license had at that meeting been renewed subject to the police reporting on the management of the house during the next quarter. The police now reported that the management during the quarter had not been satisfactory, and as an instance the case was cited in which the licensee (Mr E. Scott) had been charged at the Police Court with permitting drunkenness on his premises and selling liquor to a drunken man. The ease had been dismissed. Mr Baume, who appeared on behalf of the licensee, urged that that case should not be made a cause of complaint, inasmuch as it had been investigated by a magistrate and the charge dismissed. After some deliberation, Mr Brabant, speakmg for the committee, said the police had anade what amounted to a, complaint egainst the management of the house. They bow understood from t-he subinspector tha/t the only cause of complaint had been the charge of permitting drunkenness. That had already beeii heard before the Police Court and dismissed by another magistrate. They understood from the sub-inspect-or that there was no further evidence tendered as to the management of the ihouse. They were of opinion that they could not go into the question of permitting drunkenness as that charge had already been dismissed by a competent tribunal,' and as no further evidence was tendered they had practically no charge before them. Metropolitan Hotel.—Sub-Inspector Wilson reported that the only complaint against this hotel had been the permitting a chea*> jack to exhibit his wares in one of the doorways abutting on Queen-street, thereby inconveniencing passers by. The licensee (Mr A. Drake) on being notified 'of this complaint had immediately taken steps to tave the cause of it removed. ■A-lbert Hotel.—The police reported that improvements in connection with the fire escapes had been satisfactorily carried out. The sub-inspector added that the Albert Hotel's fire escapes were now the most satisfactory in town. Occidental Hotel.—The police reported that betting had practically ceased so far as the Occidental Hotel was concerned. The licensee (Mr Russell) had given the police every assistance in putting down the practice. • Several minor matters were dealt ■with and the committee then rose.

The quarterly meeting of the Manukau Licensing Committee took place at the Court-house, Onehunga, yesterday afternoon. There were present: ■Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., chairman, and Messrs Bradly, Burden, Neilson, Hall and Gavin. The police report being favourable, a permanent transfer of the Junction Hotel from U. Winter to J. Brewin was granted on the latter's application. Mr R. Ternahan, licensee of the Hibernian Hotel, made application on behalf of the licensees of the hotels in the borough for permission to extinguish their outside light at 10 p.m., which was granted. Mr Burden's proposal to grant the same privilege to all hotels in the district did not find favour with the committee, and was not pressed.