HUTT AND PETONE HOTELS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 216, 5 June 1908, Page 3

HUTT AND PETONE HOTELS.

LICENSING COMMITTEE. SOME OBJECTIONS TO LICENSES. Tho animal meeting of the Hutt Licensing Gommitteo was hold .yesterday, Dr. M'Artliur, S.M., presiding. Other members of tho committee present were: Messrs. Orton, Stevens, W. Inglis, 11. Rider, J. Cotton, and J. Cudby. RENEWALS OF LICENSES. The following renewals of licenses were granted, tho police reports being favourable:— Bcllevue Hotel, W. Gandai'; Ngahaurauga Hotel, T. W. Clapham;-Esplanade Hotel, E. Prictor; Taita Hotel, J. IH'Grath; Railway Hotel, C. M'Manus; Trentham Hotel, C. Benzies; Empire Hotel, li. J. Palmer; Central Hotel (Lower Hutt), M. J. Hodgins; Provincial Hotel, C. H. Williams: All Nations Hotel, W. W. Middloton; White Horse Hotel, J. Shortis; Grand National Hotel, W. Richmond. WHOLESALE LICENSES. Wholesale licenses were granted to A.' Y. Lees (Lower Hutt) and to J. J. Cronin (Petone). 11l regard to the last-named application, Mr. Peacock, counsel for Mr. Croiiin, said tho business had been bought from Mr. Charles Brasche. Dr. M'Artliur said the Bench wished it to bo understood that there was to be no trafficking in these wholesale licenses, and to that end no facilities would be given for a chango in tho license except at tne annual or quarterly meetings. APPLICATIONS ADJOURNED. In tho case of the Family Hotel (Mr. J. Young, licensee), some minor repairs yet remained to bo completed. Dr. M'Artliur said the Committee had come to the conclusion in these matters that if any repairs that had been ordorcd remained uncarried out by the time of the aniiuaLmeeting, the application must bo adjourned until they had been completed. Tho application would be adjourned. In regard to the Central Hotel, Petone (licensee, Mr. W. R. Wilson), the police^report had reference to tho. state of the hotel and to the manner of its conduct. Mr. Wilford appeared for the applicant. In regard to tlie remarks that certain rcmirs had not been effected, Mi - . Wilford called tho N Inspector of tho Health Department, iUr. C. A. Shaw. .

The latter gave evidence-as to having rcported'regarding alterations that wero necessary in the hotel., These alterations had not all been effected, but he. had spoken to Mr. Wilson about them, and on visiting the hotel the previous' day (Wednesday) had found all the matters complained of put right to the entire satisfaction of the Department. Dr. M'Arthur said the Committee wished to express their satisfaction at tho assistance the. Health Department had given in this case. Inspector Ellison said that more was required than that a hotel should be satisfactory at the time the Licensing Committee sat. An hotel should b,o in a proper state all tho year roiuld. Wlion ho saw the hotel in March it was not. as it should he for tho. comfort of tho -public. The licensee' was away, and it was found he had been leaving his premises and not complying with the terms of the Act,; delegating the Control to his family without the conscnt of the Committee. Presumably this was responsiblo for the complaints as to the state of _ the place. Constablo Cox, in ovidence, said thero had been a good deal of excessive drunkenness in Petone lately, and several arrests had been made in tho vicinity of tho hotel. Tho men had- come from the hotel. AVitness could not tell how many arrests thero had been: there had been so many. To Mr. WilfoTd: Thcso men had not'been "fired" out of the hotel. They had. como out at closing time. They had not' previously come out from Wellington. \Ho could not say from memory who all tho men were, that wero arrested from tho hotel. Ho could hot say whethor ho himself had arrosted ono "drunk," who had come directly from the hotel. Since the beginning of tho year 55 arrests had. been made in Petone, but they wero not all for' drunkenness. Ho admitted a class of men invaded the suburb at certain times of tho year, who, when they got drink, wero a considerable problem for hotel-, keepers to deal with, witness had paid spccial attention to the conduct of the hotel during the latter part of March and the early, part of April. Witjie'ss was prepared to swear that in seven nlonths the-licensee was absent from his hotel, and Petono, more than 28 days. Witness could not givo tho periods- during which the licensee was absent. Mr. Wilson had n farm at Waitara. To Inspector -ElliWt: Since March 5 ho had visited the hotel two and three times a week for about - six weeks. He had seen Mr. Wilson on, March 4, and he had said he was going away again tho next week. Nothjng was said about the necessity for obtaining leavo to bo absent. _ / • Inspector Ellison said that this was tho first time charges of drunkenness on tho premises of the hotel had been brought und r .his notice. Tho Constablo was not in a position to provo this charge. The roport' seemod to be a general statement rathor than a matter of evidence; a suggestion that becauso there was drunkenness in the vicinity of the hotel there was a reason for the report. Th? position, tho Inspector, came rather as a surprise to him. | Dr. M'Arthur: Could not tho polico get' some evidence by Wednesday next? It was too serious a matter to be treated lightly. A brief conversation ensued between the Inspector and Constablo Cox. The former remarked that the Constable said a man had been seen carrying away bottles of beer.

Mr. Wilford: That is no offence.' \ A few minutes after, Mr. Wilford rise at tho cramped table, and said Inspector Ellison had asked the Constable a question which ho (counsel) could not help hearing. Tho question was: Had he ever arrested anyono for drunkenness coming ojrfc of tho hotel, and the Constable's answer was "No." Mr. Wilford s thought the Bench should know this. . _ Tho 'Inspector, replying to the Bench, said tho complaints had been made in a very slip-shod manner. Ho did not know there was anything further to be said. Dr. M'Arthur said there was this beforo Them: that tho hotel had heon in a very bad state sanitarily, and thero was the fact that the licensee had been frequently away from tho premises. Inspector Ellison, in roply to Mr. Wilford, said he was prepared to drop the chargo of drunkenness on tho premises. Thero. yet remained charges regarding tho alleged untidy stato in which the hotel had been kept. Dr. M'Arthur at. this stage intimated that he and another member of tlio Committoo could not sit lator, owing .to. engagements. Tho meeting'-was : then adjourned ' until Wednesday, Juno 17. On that dato tho application of J. Sullivan for a renewal of tho license of the Victoria Hotel will also bo heard.

( HtJTT RIVER BOARD. A meoting of tho Hutt River Board was hold last night, v Mr. W. G. Foster presiding, and,tho other members present boing: Messrs. Orton Stevens, A. Peters, T. A. Poterkin, and Robert. Stevens. Mr.-Laing-Moason, engineer to tho Board, submitted a plan for tho improvement of tho Hutt River for.shipping and other purposes. Tho schemo was discussed at great length, and was finally referred to a committee. HUTT PARK COMMITTEE. Tho Hutt Park Committee met last night, when there wore present:—Councillors Russell (in the chair), Hodgins, Baldwin, Southgate, M'Ewan, Colquhoun; and Dr. M'Kenzio. Mr. H. Adams oll'ered to removo wire fencing for the sum of £1 10s. Tho', offer was accepted. Tlio Petono Borough Council agreed to support tho Hutt Council in. its endeavour to obtain a legal opinion with" regard to tho loaso of tho park to the golf club. Dr. M'Kenzio suggested that an attempt should bo made to meet tho club and arrange tho dispute amicably. The delegates were of a similar opinion, and after a long discussion it was moved and decided l.hat tho. golf dub'be informed that tlieir .lease is.

invalid, and that they_ be asked to confcr with tho comniittco with a view to now terms. Dr. M'Kcnzio moved that tho Hutt Golf Club bo written to, telling them that tho sheep grazing on the park were a clangor to those trainers using tho course, and holding tho club responsible for any accident occurring through "their presence.. This was carriod. Accounts amounting to £18 16s. sd. were passed for payment, leaving a balance of £29 13s. 7d. Mr. M'Ewan brought forward tho question of scouring greater powers to charge for admission to the pari:. Ho thought that Parliament should be approached with a view to a revision of the power held by the Board. Mr. Baldwin thought that tho power to charso on ton days was quite sufficient for the nresent. ,Dr. M'Kenzio was of the opinion that the ground should be frco for the uso of footballers. The usual weekly Eession of tho Hope of Petono Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was hold in the Ilanfurly Hall last evening, Bro. T. Townsend, Chief Templar, presiding. Sirs. Traiie was initiated into tlio Order by the C.T. Items to the programme were given by Bros, lliilan, D.C.T., .Jowett, Shirley, Towusend, Traiie, and Robertson, Sisters M'Ewan, Dcnby, Brierley, Griffiths, and Fuller. Votes of thanks wore passed to visitors from Wellington, and the lodge was closed by tho C'.T. about 10 p.m.