BILLSARE SALOOSS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 169, 10 April 1908, Page 9

BILLSARE SALOOSS.

.ALLEGED IMPROPER PRACTICES. CLOSING; HOURS. ■ ■ T ' \' • TWO DEPUTATIONS TO THE C\TY COUNCIL. \ . Tito conduct. 1 of billiard saloons in 'trip' city occupied the attention ,/of tho City Cqiuicil last night, when/two opposing points oiWiow wero'.explained' by deputations representing the billiard silicon-keepers and the Council of the Churches. V VIEWS OF THE PROPE-lETOKS. \ M l '' Casey headed a deputation of half a dozen billiard saloon proprietors, ing for an extension of the closing .hours trom 10 io II p.m. .. Mr. Casey/urgcf that in) the . other centres the closing hour was 11 p.m., and in - the same centres, Dunedin, L/hnstchurch, and Auckland,, ten o'clock closing of hotolg obtained. In those cities the 3xtra hour had.not caused any detriment to i ■ P u ,m o, Section 2of the Polico Offences Amendment Act, : 1903, saloons might' bo slosod at 11 p.m., although local bodies could make regulations .in.their districts, but it seotned an - indication of tls opinion of our enlightened legislators o'clock was lot too late. Tliero was an important point n tlio • economic aspect of. tho quostion, and !L® ; compared .the: license fees- charged at \* olhngton with' thoso in other centres, showing that the''fee at ■ Auokland'and Christ, ihurcli was £1, and £2 2s. at Dunetiin, while wO.,was charged lopally. In addition ,to that, t-Jj'® B .a.'jjjattqr of notoriety that rents in i ellmgton were exceedingly high.- One saloon icepe_r, possessing seven tables, paid a weekly ■pntal of £10 for ground -floor premises. Anjthpr, with five-tables, paid £8 10s. per wenk. ;)n the .other hand,. one at tho centre ;-of Jueon Street, Auckland, of eight tables,. oil ■he ground floor, paid only £3 weekly., One, lmilarly situated in Christchwch; with three ables, paid .£1 10s. .\ He stated that there pas, more business-during the last hour than iarlior in the.cvoriing. ,! "Jlany did not coinp n till. 9■ o clock, and often went away in lisgnst, as a game of 100 took at least nree-quarters of an, hour.- The gamo was a lopuwr .-<> no,' 'especially with lodger's, ' who iad littls else to do, and they could enter a /arm, comfortable room, .with'a pure, healthy .tniosphero. . .The ;salpong .were, conducted erv respectably, and in accordance with the ty-laws,., It might bo said that the saloons (ero 1 dPjliS'.of infamy; that might.have been p. in; hut it was not the case at irosent; The saloonsin Wellington wcro now credit to. Australasia, and }ie submitted that io objection could be taken on that ground, t was suggested that hotel frequenters might ,o.to saloons at ten "o'clock, but/t]io, saloon .cepers would.not allow any drunkenness.'on lioir premises. Tlio■ application was a; very easbnable one, and, if the extension Was ranted;- no abuses would bo allowed to creep n, as at any moment tho polico wcro ablo 0 investigate. <" ...I-"i Mr... ShirtcMo asked ! if .tho, request camo rom patrons or saloon keepors. ; . ,'. Mr, Casey -roplied, thut tho patrons had lade tho repucst.. • . • THE COUNCIL OF THE CHURCHES. .A'deputation ; from tho Council of tho Jiurchos then received a hearing oir tiio amo subject. ' 1 '[• North said tho-Council of ho Churohes had . interested itself ; in-tho ljliard saloons for - about'.'a"', year -past,- 'and ras pleased-when by-laws, of a. more drastic haracter were adoptod.v. Yet they belioved hat the by-luws wore being disregarded- and orn . jip. - This idea / jvas 'strengthened by. ho information . just'given thatl'si certain jcal; firm wcro'renting billiard rooms at £8' . week. ./Bookmakers wore carrying on their : usiness in sopio.of the saloons in,the ■'teeth f tho .by-laws,., andin. spito of tlio inspfcetors. 'ho; polico supervision was. not satisfactory, (no of the.:saloonrkeepprs;had ; tp!d him that e had'only/,had' a' visit froni 'one/policeman uring a number.of yeata, and then, tho eont'ablo .merely put. his head in at ,tho dpor l . nd -yanislied-^at;phos.. - Tho inteiiests 1 of'the. outh of the City demanded.that these places hould be and inspected, 'ho. proprietors., jvcre,; in too -many, .cases, annectcd with' !th'e ! turf, 'aiid Wero: men of icing .proclivities. TJhero. was a - gamo callcd' qpl.whichi- : ho understopdi :.Wi\s. nover played: ithout '. gambling;'i,.A,:casb; hoard ;in' A\ick-i kndvshowed -.that'; it-/ was 'played for.- high takes.- .. Hew, however,, .tho game , was. freely. ls*yod, in .'the 1 and spccial tables ■pre- reservod' for, it:' - The deputation also lshed .to-.0pp050,,-tho-'extension -of tho ,clos-! ifl hours 'for ;these establishments' frorri- ten 'clock-to: pleven. /It'-would he "'impossible--d" keep 'the :saloons freo from the " hotel ,in ; tho intorests of the, gamp,' ;ith "which' as. a ; - gamo-tho-' deputation had 0 quarrel, the . later.-, hour:: shoiild -'riot. \W ranted., 1 Tho billiard saloon, keepers them-' jlves' were- divided on tho,question, and ho ibitiittal, that it".'WHjuldv-bd -little! less than loristrbus! if.' tho ' demand for 'extension of\ ours were granted. '/■.-'■■;■■ - Mr. J:.'Hutohesdn/said he-belioved that fie billiard saloons' would lib mado fiupplelcntary to .tho publib- -houses if .they, wero poll' until eleven. Ho -,was > surn no .class'-nf; eople wanted to go" back ' t-o eleven o'elcck losing for the bars,i-hut if"the.billiard rooms•ore; Open,, meiv wnuld no there with a bottle 1 - cach' ppc-kot. : ' ' Ho.-felt 'it- could/hardly bo ecmsary-/ to', rnako these. represbhtations,' s .the - Council < would ■ no! doubt agree' with neir views: *. -' '•' SOME QUESTIONS. In roply to. tho'Mavor. Mr. Oasev. who ad remained: in tlio .Council Chamber with lip other ■ members of tlio'deputation, said aat .thp firm-of bookmakers, which-had-been aifer'red to," although 1 they.' held: 'the'/ lpaso of 10' billiard saloon referred to', had a nianger in ehgrge, and instruotbd him to : cbni-: ly strictly, with tho by-laivs./ , In reply to further questions# it was stated y,-members' of both deputations that ; tliero billiard .saloons in. the City, tri- Casoy "stated-that: ho was instructed by bpnimitteo'. of'.whielr'eleven/of; the- prof rietors !wer'p- membors./- Thp otlior had. in 7 tr-ucted. liini to the sanje effeot;.separately. Mr. North: Our information is quite difire'nt froni-'t-hat.' ■' Councillor Biss . (isked of what' age and lass .the frequenters of .the saloons, were. /-.' Mr! North / said / tho. ago Was dimited by y-lnF, but it had been reported that the" mit;was not observed., . - Thp-Mayer: Iti :3 -very, easy to ;bo,-mis-skbn in ; a person's age. >. Councillor-Fletcher, asked, if. slr. North's nowledge /of • tho saloons: was drawn ' from is own .oxpcrienco.' Ho 'protested.- against he imputation that all .tho proprietors wero o'okmakers,.- ■ . " /■ /. : ' '%/ Mr. -Noi-tli: I . dill not say. tlicy wcro .all ookmakers. -.. -, ' . . -. ./ : CoiiueiJlor . Cariniehaol: I protest, against his,'man'ipterfbriug./ " 1 ' ' : The Mayor/:-closed, the. discussion bv pro-, using tlio .deputation . that the - Council i'ould' go - int-o .the matter very carefully., At ■,«' st*go.. Councillor .Biss - asked ■•hen .:t!io ;.Coiuici! would, deal with tho r&> ssuo'of/.the,licenses. ' ,-Tl(o ?ilayor said they were, waiting for eftaiu information.