Auckland Test Case On Dancing In Hotels

Press, Volume C, Issue 29444, 21 February 1961, Page 15

Auckland Test Case On Dancing In Hotels

(hew Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, February 20. An application for dancing and other entertainments to be h-ld on the premises of the Station Hotel, Auckland, seven nights a week was heard by .he Licensing Control Commission in Auckland today. Section 17 of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1960, provides that entertainments may be held in hotels that cater substantially for tourists and holiday makers.

The application was made by the licensee of the hotel. Mr T R. Williams. The commission comprised the .chairman (Mr S. T. Barnett) and Major-General Sir William Gentry and Mr F P. Kelly. The application was in the nature of a test case. Much of the hearing was taken up with attempts to define what persons fell into the category of tourists and the meaning of the word "substantial.” Mr Williams said that bis primary concern was to provide for tourists and holidaymakers the facilities that could be enjoyed to hotels overseas.

He wanted his hotel to cater increasingly for tourists. He hoped to provide a service that would enable his guests to dine up until 11.30 p.m., to dance on a specially constructed dance floor, and to be entertained by items.Mr Williams said that many of his guests dined outside the hotel because they did not like early meal hours and because they wanted to be entertained while they ate.

It would not be economic to set later hours for dinner unless entertainment could be

provided. This was done to many overseas hotels. The legal adviser' to the commission (Mr R. C. Savage, of Wellington) said that the evidence offered about increased custom from tourists was imprecise. Also, little evidence had been produced about the number of outside restaurants that could offer similar facilities. According to the amendment, the commission could take the nature and locality of places supplying similar services into consideration when considering an application. “We will need to be sure that the hotelier is not merely trying to compete with dine-and-dance restaurants, rather than to enterain his- guests,” Mr Barnett commented. Decision was reserved.