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Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10986, 8 June 1901, Page 5

(rRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.)

GISBORNE, June 7.

At the meeting of the Waiapu Licensing Bench to-day Sergeant Siddells presented a detailed report on every house in the district. He complained that in tlie outlying accommodation houses little attention was paid to the comfort of traA'ellers., the sale of drink being apparently the first and only object. He urged that in quite a number of places better houses should be insisted oh, and remarked that it is a common thing here for licensed houses that are unworthy of the name to change hands, and large sufns to ba paid for the goodwill. If the goodwill is worth such a lot, the least the public can expect is that a decent house should be provided. INVERCARGILL, June 7.

The Licensing Committee has reneAved all the licenses and appointed a committee to inspect the fire escapes. The chairman referred to the increase of drunkenness, especially on tbe part of youths. GISBORNE, June 7.

At the Licensing.Court an application was made for ths license of a neAv hotel at Gisborne, to be known as ths Criterion. In order to secure this it Avas proposed that the. licensed accommodation house at Waiapu, sixty miles aAvay, should lapse. Mr Baume (Auckland) appeared for the applicant, and gave his assurance that the Waiapu license would lapse if this were granTed, but the Bench ruled that the application for a new license must be withdrawn, before a neAv one could be made. The application was refused. NEW PLYMOUTH, June 7.

The annual meeting of the Licensing Bench to-day is likely to extend till tomorroAV. The application for a new license in NeAv Plymouth in place of one alloAved to lapse at. four miles away, Avas vigorously opposed. A strong bar is! engaged. Dr. Findlay appears for the' Licensed Victuallers and Mr R. Atkinson for the prohibition party to oppose, and Messrs Govett Weston and Southey Baker appear for' the applicants. . Lefngthy arguments took place on points of laAv. Intense interest is,excited. . (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) . , WELLINGTON, June 7. At the afihual meeting of the Suburban Licensing Committee, comments were made on the insufficiency of fire escape arrangements at one of the hotels. The Chairman, Mr W. R v Haselden, S.M., said: "When fee committee cancels one or tAvo licenses licensees may meet the committee in a more reasonable Avav."

An applicant asked what sort of fire escape lie should put in.

The Chairman: "That is, not for the committee to say. Aji architect ivill tefl you if you pay "him." The license was granted, subject to Adequate fire escapes -eing put in. The licensee of another hotel said he had written to the owners offering to contribute £200 toAvards repairing the building, and had received no reply. The Chairman pointed to the difficulty that -arose as between the landlord and the" short-lease tenant; the landlord Avould not spend money because he would get no more rent, and the lessee would not spend because of the shortness of his tenure." If the committee endeavoured to deal Avith the owner and occupier separately it Avould put its hand into two nests of hornets. It should disregard the lessor arid lessee and decide."

On account of. whom it may concern, the committee decided to reneAv the license, subject to proper repairs being effected within six months.