CITY HOTELS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 154, 1 July 1936, Page 8

CITY HOTELS.

IMPROVEMENTS MADE. LICENSES UNDER REVIEW. TWO CASES ADJOURNED. Adjourned to allow tlie owners of three city hotels to comply with requests for alterations and improvements, the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Licensing Committee, presided over by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., was conclndcd to-day when the licenses of the Imperial, the Wynyard Arms and the Queen's Ferry hotels were under review. On behalf of the owners of the Wyn--yarcl Arms Hotel, Mr. T. Oliphant said that a new roof had been put on the building and that other improvements had been carried out. Damage had been caused by the storms of February and May. Sub-Inspector D. Scott, who represented the police, said the hotel now met the requirement of tlie Act and the license was renewed. Imperial Hotel; Mr. J. Terry, who appeared for the owners of the Imperial Hotel, Hancock and Company, said that the requests of the police had now been complied with. The lowest tender for a new roof, which had been one of the requirements, was £399, but that tender had not been let because the owners had an enlargement and alteration scheme in mind. It would be needless expenditure to put on a new roof if the scheme, which involved the construction of another storey, was gone on with. The scheme was to be given immediate consideration, and next quarterly meeting of the committee cither a new roof would be put on or the alteration scheme undertaken. After hearing the evidence of an architect, Cedric Keynokls, the chairman said, the committee was. quite unanimous that it was not going to grant a license to the hotel in its present rendition. It was proposed to adjourn the application for renewal until the next quarterly meeting on Septeml :;r 2. The owners could decide in the meantime whether they proposed to go ahead with their alteration scheme or put a new roof on. Mr. Jerry: That will be done most definitely. Over Emphasised. Mr. G. I'. Finlay, who appeared for the licensee, Ernest Montgomery, said that at the original quarterly meeting of tlie committee it had been reported that the foundation of the lavatory in the public bar had been leaking into the cellar, where beer was stored. Sensational capital had been made out of the report by the newspapers, but that was not a correct and. proper statement. The chairman explained that the committee had found that the plumbing in the lavatory had been leaking down into the cellar, but the committee was not concerned with what appeared in the newspapers. Mr. Finlay explained that the leak had been pure water from the cistern. The licensee was quite jealous of his reputation for cleanliness and the manner in which he looked after his hotel, and he did not want a wrong impression to be formed. Queen's Ferry. When the license of the Queen's Ferry was under review, Mr. Wyvern Wilson said that if the necessary repairs were carried out, favourable consideration would be given to the license. The hearing would be adjourned to the next meeting of the committee, which would then probably inspect the premises. Mr. Leys, who appeared for the owners, said alterations suggested by the architect, Mr. D. B. Patterson, would cost the estate about £250.

After hearing the ovidence of the architect, the chairman saicl the committee was glad to see that the place was to be put in a thorough state of repair. It would like to have had fireproof floors, but if the work embodied in the architect's report was done, the committee would be bound to grant a license. As far as the repairs to an existing house were concerned, the committee's powers did not go far enough for it to order fire-proof floors.