LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 221, 11 June 1908, Page 8

LICENSING COMMITTEE.

» — ■ ANNUAL MEETINC OF MASTERTON BENCH. SOME STRONG POLICE COMMENTS. LICENSES.RESTRICTED TO 10 O'CLOCK. (BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT).

Masterton, Juno 10. Tho., annual meeting. of tho Mastei'ton Licensing.Committee- was hold in tho local Court-house to-day. Mr. W." 1\ James, S.M., occupied the chair, and. there were also present:'Messrs.'J. Pauling, J. Hessey, E. M'Ewan, F. C. Turner, and F. Bright. Mr. C. E. Daniell was the only absentee. The meeting was remarkable for some very strong comments by tho police on the conduct, of various -hotels, especially with reference to cases where drunkenness was apparently openly,, permitted on the premises, and for the strictures passed upon tho condition of various buildings by Dr. J. P. Freuelev, District Health Officer. • Mr. Pownall, who appeared for several hotel-keepers, objected to the carrying out of Dr. Frengley's requests, which lie considered wore .not always justified. The committee . declared in favour of the Health Officer; except in one instance, where the recomriiendation was overruled,. against tho wish of the..chairman, owing to the suggeßtion by that, as there might oe a change -in tlje. local option voto at tho next election, it...would not be fair to run the licensee, into unnecessary expense. Tho: case, of the Central Hotel, Masterton, iu -polico objected" to a renewal of the license, on tho grounds of general misconduct by the • liconsee,- and alleged that a boarder .was. allowed apparently to dio neglected on the. premises whilo suffering from the.abuse, of alcohol, was gono into at some length, but eventually the comniitteo exonc-' rated the( licensee by renewing the license. In the.cases of the Whakataki, To Nui, and Mauricovillp. Hotels,' the applications for renewals were adjourned for three .months. The Committee, refused the application to extend the : hours of the licenses to 11 p.m., and placed Masterton .hotels on the samo footing as thoso. in tho larger centres of Wellington and Auckland. The new system will come into force on July. 1. _ There was a largo attendance of counsel at £y e nieeting, and the Court was also well filled by the public,' who watched the proceedings with great interest. Inspector Ellison,, from: Wellington, was present during the whole proceedings. ■." POLICE REPORTS. Following are the substance of the police and'sanitary officers' reports on the various hotels, the discussion, and-the decision of the Committee:— ..- • Central ; .Hotel, Masterton—Mr. F. S. Copper, "police objected to'the renewal of this, license,'but after a lengthy hearing-a renewal was granted; The Sanitary Officer's report was favourable. Club Hotel, Masterton—Thomas James Porter, . licensee—Police report: "Tho hotel is fairly -well conducted.", Sanitary Officer's report : • "With minor exceptions, the placo was clean, . and satisfactory."—Application granted. .. . ' ■ . Queen's Hotel, Masterton—Mrs. Margaret O'Neill', licensee—Police repogt: "The Tiotel -is fairly vyell - conducted." The Sanitory' Officer reported, that the condition, of tho building was " satisfactory. — Application granted. ■: ' ' Mauriceville'Hotel—A. A. Harris, licensee —Police report: "House been' conducted indifferently . during past twelve months." The Sanitary' Inspector reported that the house was Yiofc in a' satisfactory condition, but the landlord that-bo was malting earnest endeavours to. effect improvements. The District Health Officer declared emphatically that tho house required a good shaking up.—Application adjourned for tlireo months, in order, to allow tho licensee or tho proprietor to make the necessary improvements... 4 • Marine . Hotel, Whakataki —William Roigard, licensee.. It was reported that' Humorous improvements were required. Tho Health Officer reported that except for a glaringly stagnant pool, the house was not ' insanitary. Application adjourned- 1 for three months. Tenui Hotel, W. S. Barr, licensee.—Constable Collorton said the hotel was being very well conducted at present.—Application adjourned for. three months,' .the com.mitteo being of the opinion that thoro wero grounds 'for the belief that the licenseo had employed a , person , to assault another man .for, him. . . Occidental Hotel, Masterton, J. O'Meara licensee;. Empire Hotel, Masterton, James Cress, licenseePrinco of Walk's Hotel Mastorton, R. Barclay, liconsee. Police re' port:—"All well kept during,tho past 12 months. No objections." ' Applications granted. ; Mulgrave Hotel, Kopuaranga, Victor Jorgenson, lisenee—The Sanitary Officer reported that tho present owner had only been in occupation three months, but had effected considerable improvements. Application granted. .. Railway Hotel, Eketahuna, John A. Collins,_ licensee. Application granted after a re Pj'imand. from-the magistrate. Club Hotel, Eketahuna, Allan Maugorson, licensee; Eketahuna Hotel, Louisa Manson licensee j Ranfurly Hotel, David Hope-John-stone,. licensee; Alfredton Hotel, William J bonder,;-licensee; Hamua Junction Hotel, H W Olay heonsee. Polico report:—All Veil conducted,' aiid houses generally in good condition.—Applications granted. Applications for wholesale licenses were granted in the. cases' of the. W.F.C.A. and Messrs. Levin.and Co. TEN O'CLOCK LICENSES. Mr. Ponnar applied for an extension of tho licenses to IT o clock, as had beon the custorn tor a number of years. Serjeant Miller, strongly opposed the 'application., vile said that during the past twelve months ended Juno 1 there had been 290 arrests for drunkenness alone in Masterton, while ;56 prohibition orders had been issued. T?he travelling public did not re. quiro the extension, which caused a great deal of inconvenience to townspeople gener aily' • •

The- Chairman said that, ho had always thought that if Wellington and Auckland could get along with 10 o'clock licenses surely Masterton: could do the same. p Sergeant Miller: Then there is the caso of Eketahuria. . . • • The •Chairman: /What? Are hotels kept open till 11 o'clock in Eketahuna? . , Sergeant Miller: Yes; it's monstrous I (Laughter.) ■ ■ The Committee retired to consider the matter, and on' returning to the Court the chairman, stated that the Committee were unanimous that.'tho time had arrived when all hotel licenses in the district- should be for ;10 o'clock , only. The restriction to 10 o'clock licenses was "not against the convenience of travellers who might arrive by the late .trains; and there was no doubt that it was; generally conducive to' the best, interests of the town. • So. far as'-he was concerned,: he tipd. . always been in favour' of 10 o'clock and he was glad now to find that tlie Committee, had come round to his ..way of/ thinking. -/