“NEVER REFUSED A REQUEST”

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26491, 4 August 1951, Page 8

“NEVER REFUSED A REQUEST”

Alan James Bismah. licensee of the Empire Hotel, said his fathefr, James Redmond Bisman, owned the fibtel. He had applied for two star grading. Mr Briggs, who was employed in his hotel, had nevbr been refused ip a request for accommodation in .the hotel, to the knowledge of the witness; Sub-Inspector. Kearns, cross-ex-amined Oh the Mitre Hotel by Mi- R. P. Thompson, for Thomas Lancelot Blumsky, the licensee, said he had stayed at the Mitte Hotel during the strike. He had, never heard any complaints against the hotel of refusing to take guests. “I nave never had a request, lb my knowledge, from Mr Briggs for accommodation,” said Mr Blumsky. To Mr Barrington he said he had had requests from the licensee of the Lyttelton Hotel to provide accommodation. Mr Barrington; Do you take them? —Yes, always—if I can accommodate them. Speaking from memory; he Would

KiTw™ Uthffi'wShi J. S » e ?i r Lyttelton and. as the hotel Was full, he could nbt take them. He had never been asked to take in guests by the licensee of the Lyttelton Hotel, which was about. 30 yards away. “I yas surprised to hear there were hundreds of requests being made,” he Saia. ~ „ Reginald John Gould, licensee of the Saxon Hotel said he leased the hotel from BMlln Brothers. He had only been there, three months arid had not been asked for accommodation in that time fo- either Mr Briggs or Mr Harvey. Sub-Inspector Keatns said the hotel Whs Si years old. Mr Party said it was recognised that this was a very old hotel. Because of the uncertainty about the future of the Lyttelton Hotel the company had not been able to formulate any plans fofr the Saxon.