LICENSING COMMITTEES.

Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5617, 19 September 1883, Page 3

LICENSING COMMITTEES.

M_NDEVI_LE AND RANGIORA.

The adjourned annual meeting of this Committee, in compliance with an order of the Supreme Court, was held at Rangiora on Tuesday. Present —Messrs Horse, (Chairman), Johnston, Leggitt, Catc_pole, and Wilson. .Y^yT The appUcation of H. Lee, for a Ucense at Woodend for the Royal Hotel, was received. Mr McConnel appeared for the opnUcant. r - In opposition to the planting of the license, T. Wr_sow gave evidence that ninety-seven persons had petitioned the Committee against granting the Ucense, including the principal persons of the neighborhood. Mr McCoh-B- pointed out this petition and former proceedings were informoL Witness said the hotel in question was, in his opinion, only carried on for the bar trade. He had Uved on the line of ; rood for some years, and was convinced that the traffic was not more than could' be met by one hotel; in fact, no hotel was wanted, owing to the short distance between Kaiapoi and Rangiora, as there was no traffic on the Main North rood since the railway had been running. In reply to the Chairman, he said "Le resided two and a half miles from the Royal, Ashley rood, and did not see what traffic there was on the'Rangiora road. Could not say.how the hotel was conducted, as he had never been in it. The only persons who seemed to go to the Woodend hotels from outside were pleasure seekers, and they came mainly on Sundays.

By Mr McConk__—Could not say if there was better accommodation at -the--'Royal than the Crane for. stock travelling. Had not inspected either. A great deal of time he spent in his garden, and he saw the ! number of persons passing. Could give no evidence on the bar trade of the hotel, but said he felt sure that the fewer the ; hotels the less drinking there would be. j He thought there must be very few tro- - veUers calling at the Royal, as he had heard no servant was kept. J Rev. W., H. Gosß_t_ said the evidence . he had to give was in respect of the popu- ! lation, as showing that for the number one , hotel in Woodend district was sufficient, i He had been resident clergyman there two 1 and, a half years, and taking a radius of l two nules estimated there were 130 houses. _ The township was also within easy distance + of Rangiora and Kaiapoi. He considered x if another Ucense was granted there would _ be more necessity for the agitation there r for a policeman, which had _ for.some time. There was, in his opinion, i. no,support for a second house, unless improper means were token to keep it up. 2

In reply to Mr McConnel, Witness said Z. he had heard the Royal was the oldest I hotel. The granting of a second Ucense Z. would necessitate tiie requirement for a 0 . poUcemon. The radius given did not _■ include the whole of the Ucensing district, „ but Bimply the neighborhood of the hotels, g If there were increased faciUties he held _ there would be more drinking. Han hotel „ wo 3 closed he did not think the trade would £ aU go to one house, as many would abstain, g In the 130 houses there might be a popula- j tion of 600 to 600 men, women, and S children. ■

Mr McConnbl applied for ah adjourn ment, as notice had not been given of these objections. Subsequently, ot the desire of applicant, he withdrew .his appUcation, and caUed witnesses to rebut the evidence given.

H. Lx_, the appUcant, said there were at least four bona fide travellers per week stayedat his hotel, with stock travelling. There was no other place on the rood from Amberley to Kaiapoi which offered the same accommodation. He proved the signatures of o number of persons to petitions in fovor of the Ucense. J

Mask Thompkins gave evidence tha the hotel had been Uoensed thirty years. - The withdrawal of the Ucense meant ruin to the appUcant, and nearly ruin to himself, as his whole capital was in it,- and oh the rent he depended, for. his support and ■th_t t)f ttree closed he beUeved, c6h_r_ ! id Mr Gossetf a argument, the trade would .-go to the other house, as, if the Church of England was closed, all the religious people would go over to the Methodists.

8. Gbbbh made an affirmation that signatures attached to the petition presented were coUected by him. >■ . J. M. Walker said, in his opinion, two hotels were needed at Woodend, the Royal more so, for its central position and the accommodation to persons traveUing and stock. .

J." Lock gave evidence of the way in which this. Royal was conducted some years ago, and its central position. Mr McGottßßii contended that it wok not the intention of the Legislature that existing Ueenses should be cancelled, so long as houses were weU conducted. He

pointed but that in the i sections Of the Act relating to renewals it was not contemplated that any Ucense should be canceUed for the reason it was hot required in the neighborhood, and quoted from Mr, Joyht's opinion in respect to the Clarendon application, the ''Telegraph newspaper leading article on the same question, and the '_'- Law Times," in regard to a BimUar case in England, in which case a large Bench decided "that (in the English Act) there was no power to refuse to renew an exist-

ing Ucense merely on the ground that the same waa not required in the" neighborhood, in the exercise of judicial discretion." He also referred to the case of the-Bune-

din railway refreshment room license, in which, on mandamus, the Committee had

granted the Ucense, and entered into a

long defence of his client.

The, Committee retired for about on hour, bid on re turning to Court announced their intention of giving a decision at noon on Tuesday next.