FIFTY YEARS A LICENSEE.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16851, 3 June 1920, Page 8

FIFTY YEARS A LICENSEE.

BENCH'S T2IBUTE TO MS PERRY,

"For fifty years you have been the holder of an hotel-keeper's license," remarked Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., to Mr Benjamin Perry, when ho applied to the Christchurch Licensing Bench yesterday for a renewal of his license for the Occidental Hotel. "During the whole of that' time no convictions have been recorded against you. The committee have taken note of "that fact, and when you receive your license from the local authority we propose to frame it as a memento of the fact that during the fifty years you have held a license there have been no convictions against you." Loud applause from the other publicans in the Court room greeted this announcement. Superintendent Dwyer said he had known Mr Perry for oo years. For several years Mr Perry conducted a hotel in Oamaru, which came under his * (Superintendent Dwyer's) eye every day, and it was a pleasure to see the place keot so scrupulously clean by Mrs J Perry. When Mr Perry came to Christ-1 church he took over an hotel which had ' borne none too good a reputation. ! which was the resort of undesiniblesl i but this place he had changed in six j months into one of the best in Christchurch, both for accommodation and' good liquor. During the whole 35 years 1 he (Superintendent Dwyer) had known ! him, ho had never heard of one complaint against Mr Perry. He was one! of the good publicans. (Applause.) irtr Perry /was so overcome at the! kind remarks addressed to him that he was totally at a loss for words. "You have taken me all aback," he eaicl, ' so you will excuse me."