Commission Reviews Hotel Requisitions

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28328, 13 July 1957, Page 2

Commission Reviews Hotel Requisitions

“Hotels on the outskirts of Christchurch should not be of lower type than those at Thames, Westport and other towns throughout New Zealand which provide good standards of accommodation,” commented the chairman (Mr A. M. Goulding) when the Licensing Cohtrol Commission yesterday reconsidered directions imposing standards and requirements on the Black Horse Hotel, Lincoln road, and the Racecourse Hotel, Upper Riccarton. Decision was reserved on both applictions. The time would * have to .come when all hotels would be required to have standards better than that fpr ungraded hotels, said the chairman later in the hearings. He wanted it th be clearly understood that it was not the automatic right of owners or licensees to-come back to the Commission after orders for minimum , standards had been issued. They had a responsibility to appear before the Commission at the review of licences. They were warned that if they did not appear, directions might be made.

The Commission’s order was that the bar and drinking facilities at th Black Horse hotel be enlarged, modernised and improved and accommodation provided for no fewer than 16 guests before May 31' last, said Mr W. E. Leicester, for the company. Over the years, the hotel had always maintained a very good standard of appearance, said Mr Leicester. The owner had always gone out. to provide good food at a cheap rate. Only £1 a day was charged and no request for acccommodation had been refused. In 11 years, capital expenditure was £12,508, more than £5OOO being applicable' to guest accommodation. The owner had not sat back and done nothing. The present accommodation was in good order, the rooms for 13 guests being spacious; If £3OOO had to be expended to provide additional i rooms, it was inevitable that the tariff would have to i be 'increased; and that might lessen the demand for accommodation. If the grading was raised, the permanent would also be lost. There was a reluctance by visitors to move more than a quarter or half a mile from Cathedral square.

The sum of £lO,OOO was to be spent on the bars, said Mr Leicester, and that was the limit of finance the company could obtain. The real demand was for better bar accommodation by the residents.

Only on rare occasions .was the accommodation at the Race-

course Hotel in full use, said Mr R. D. Wylie, for the owners, Ballins Breweries, Ltd. Having regard to the estimated cost of £6037 to comply with the directions, the extensions were unnecessary and uneconomic. In justice, the owners and the licensee should be heard before a final order was made. At the general inquiry, the owners had not been asked about additional accommodation. ‘

The company had done more than any other organisation in the improvement of and rebuilding of hotels in Canterbury and giving assistance to hotelkeepers, said Mr Wylie. It did not evade its responsibility to provide accommodation where it was needed and it would provide more accommodation at the new hotel on Mashland road. The use of funds on uneconomic requirements was not in the public interest.