PACKET LICENSES

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 149, 24 June 1908, Page 4

PACKET LICENSES

KAIPAEA COURT'S DBCKioK. ■ •> LICENSES RENEWED ON CHAItt. • '' • MAN'S CASTINGS-ypTE." ; (By Telegraph.--Pre»» AwocUHpn., , DARGAVUJLE, Tneediy. ■ At the Kaipara Licensing Court t£d»« a petition was lodged by the local*,;' license League, asking the committee' , t e ' reiuse i«icket-license3 to vessels plyijig- 0 _ the Kaipara. Mr. Coatep foi petitioners, and >Ir. Singer for the Kat para Steamship Company. Messrs! Day and Field, bsing interested parties; tpofe ■■ no part in the deliberations of the' Coin, mittee. ' "- - '-■'■' -■ ;■ v '■< Mr. Singer, in opposing the petition. stated that the company had not bern notified "of the "objections to renewal, aid. as he had only been instructed, at •■"■■■ eleventh hour, he asked for an adjournirient to enable him to prepare; bis"'a[g£'' v '' 'I'ne Committee expressed the opinion that evidence was unnecessary, and --djh twp',to one were opposed to renewing the , licenses. ' • ■ ■■■ ■■•■■,.?■,',•,\- v .'■■ air. Singer strongly protested against-, this decision being given until afforded an apportunity of showing ipw* necessary these licenses were: He. pointed out that it would be a nianifest'in'jtUtlce '■■■'■.'''■'■ to wipe'out the licenses without' the licensees an opportunity' of'etatinl their cases. ' • S •: 3= 1" ' The Chairman said he could not grant any lengthy adjournment;, but would Adjourn proceedings until after lunen,lte give' counsera'chan'ce'Of procuring! ftit; , nesses. • ,!i ". : ■.-,-,. T.,;'; ' After the luncheon adjournment the following witnesses were called ancLgaV*■.■■ evidence: ' - ' ~ Captain E. Ross, master of the Awaroa; stated that he had been thirty, ';":••-■ the local river, and liad had every opportunity of judging of the merits of license and no-license on river steamers. Where' ■ men knew" a boat hk<| no licenses;. th&f brought liquor with them, and "diiinkfeii! V ness.- was prevalent. Where" boats, "ted packet licenses' lie was able tb control tile supply of- liquor. He Mβ.' been on the' Awaroa three'years with'a/packet license, ■ : and had had no complaints, but whenrunning a substitute boat with no : picket : license, tie had tad' a lot of trouble' , 'withi':- :'■' passengers who frequently got rowdy and ■ disturbed other passengers. 1 Cross-exahW ined, he stated he : seldom, 'saw liqnpr;. brought by passengers *' on boats where there was a bar for the sake of the travel* - v liiig public aiid) their cbmfqrtr. was licensed tb carry four hundred passengers. 'He had been twenty-seven yean on the Kaipara bouts, and his experience was 4hat in the best interests of the travelling public 'the boats shpuld.be licensed. At the request of some friends,. '■'■■■■ when he purchased the' steamer Blawaii, ' \ he decided not to apply for a license, and " he ran her three months without,' witn the' result that people •brought liquor ■ aboard in sugar bags and cases, and ;he . had s»~ .junick trouble witn: intoxicated '~- passengers- that, to protect himself and the travelling public, he was compelled!, in . ■ his own an.d their interests, to secure a: ; license.' Since then no trouble had* be;!' /: curred, and he had noticed no drunken* V ness on the boats." ' In reply to the Magistrate, Captain Eosk said that his honest opinion wa»| that the - wiping out of-packet licenses , Would lead to 1 increased drinking and ;j: discomfort %q the passengers. He con-;.' -\ sidered a packet license necessary, as ii v woiiid'enableTi'lm to'liave cbmple'tb 'con--,';';.'■-' trol oVer the supply of drink, and rie :.« passengers would have cause to complain; p Messrs'. Laiig, of Eaup'6; MrY Foster,;'; a local fjaxjniller,' aiid Dr. ■JBstpgn,,.ot , r ; : Dargaville, gave corroborative' evidence. :■■ ' Constable Thompson said- 'that .'the 7; worst drunkenness Be" had seen: on tae -.':. J river boats" was" when he travelled, on the Ka'wau when she liad 'no' licehs?, . J and this'was ; iiot' anisdiaced'ease. Ho r-\ did think packet' licenses necessary... ; : In reply he said his h'oiiefi opinion was that liquor ■would less ; : . under control without the : license, and < ; ■:-_ there woi?ld be more'durnkenness. - ' f ". On behalf of the ' petitioners, Jlr. '■ v Coates called Mr. Alfred (Grregory, see-: : retary of local No-license-Xeague; w4* ■ said he was firmly of the bpinipn thkt licenses were '.'not.'necessaryv'"."Hβ "prj»> .' f erred travelling on a'no-license boa'c. '.'. He had seen people bringing bottles which . ',.-. he believed contained "spirits on bj;ard ..'-•; boats holding packet licenses. In "reply ; to the Bench, he stated that he had : ri6t been "disturbed by men uader the influence of liquor except on one occjaapnV ; Constable McDonald, of Aratapu, said ' : he had seen liqtior carried on no-license ' : boats in large quantities.' £.% the same time he complains that on spine occ*-' sions liquor had~ been-sold on"licaa<*l •. packets to residents on tlie shore'frouS. In considering' these matters in open Court, Mr. Basset favoured renewing the , ■ Jleenses, ' while Messrs, Trounson; and • Marrlrier opposed. The chairman said ' that this practically left 'the matter (to hlni to decide. He said that before the. • luncheon adjouniuicnt he -was in 'fAVpfir bx not renewing' thfese ' licenses, put the ; queaubn' he now"had'to decide w»s, would there be less drunkennefes and ilistorb- '-. anee, and would it ! "Be In tlie mteresfe of tlie travelling- public* that'ttese packet licenses should-'be'"again'renewed? He realiy thought, after e'arerully to, th? evidence on both sides, that the renewal should be granted. He wius of .: a different opinion"-before hearing t&o evidence, but, after the sworn stiteniente of tliq captains of the boats -and th? constables, n"is firm conviction was-that there would,be less drunknhess, and better control and comfort for the travelling public, if the licenses :arre renewed; arid - li.' decided accordingly, that +i;e should be continued^ Covirt was crowded, and extra: ordinary lai«wst was taken in the case?