HOTELS AND LICENSES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 530, 10 June 1909, Page 4

HOTELS AND LICENSES.

. INCREASE OF DRUNKENNESS AT LYTTELTON. ■ REMARKS BY ME. H. W. BISHOP, S.M. • (BT TBLEQEAPII—PHESS ASSOCIATION.) Ghrlstohuroh, June 9. At the annual meeting of the Lyttelioa Licensing Committee to-<iay, a report waa submitted by Sorgeaut Ryan, stating that there had boon a marked incrcaso 111 the number of cases of drunkenness in LyHelr ton during tho past six months. He was not in a position to state that any particular hotol was responsible for this undesirable state of affairs, but the.increase had been so marked that it was quite evident that licensees were not bo particular as they should be, or as they had been.in conducting their houses.

• After reading tho report, the chairman (Mr. H. AV. Bishop, S.M.) said the commit-, tee wished him to say that it was a curious fact that the increase olr drunkenness in Lyttelton had taken placo during the past sir months, which fitted in with tho time of taking tho. last local option poll. Licensees should bo fully, alive to the interests of themselves and: of the owners of the houses. Before the taking of the .local option poll, they bad been keeping strictlyto tlie letter of the law, and had raised no. complaint in the mind of the public. Ho was not going to lay the blame ■ for any deterioration on : any particular honse, or anjr. class, of Houses,, but he' did emphasise tb* fact that it was' a very, undesirable thing in the interests of tho placo, of tho licensees, and tho trade goncrally, that any such deterioration in the conduct of ' the houset . should take palce. When the sergeant made such a statement as he had done,: the facts , must be as. ho,- bad said. , Ho..must seriously. urge licensees,, not only, for their own protection, but in view of' the . fact that,, every threo years the conditions of tho trade, were'reviewed, to put,their, bouses.in order, and to see that their servants did not supply liquor to persons .-who -Were unlit to receivo it. No man had had longer experience of, the administration'of the licensing lawßthair himself, and he admitted at once that the vast majority of licensees themselves had not direct responsibility, but they did not oxercioe sufficient supervision over their employees. It was possible'for an increase of drunkenness to take place without any person being > hailed before the Court for a breach.of the law. His remarks, however; 7 would.go forth,to the public, and" ho ; earn* ' c-stly,. urged them to put their hou&cs in order. 1 ■• 1 '• . .

; Mr.Hoban said he was there to reprosenfc "the trade/', who regretted very, much that there had been' such an j increase, but during, the past few months thore had been ai great increase in shipping. in Lyttelton, which had contributed to the state of affairs mentioned. Meetings had been held to consider the position, and, although there had been some divergence of opinion, it had been decidcd that no extension or licenses, from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. should bo applied for "this year. They had always, previously applied for. an extension of hours until olevea o clock.. , .; ... t:

Mf. Bishop: The committee, from what \ thoy have, told me, would not have granted the extension had you asked for it. : Mr. IToban said licensees deplored the In* crcaso of-drunkenness, but the fact that' eleven o clock closing had hitherto been in force, may have; led to laxity on the part of some of them. The decision of the licenses in favour of 10' o'clock closing in Lyttelton had come from their own motion. ai Yr % should get, credit for that. Mr. Bishop said he was always prepared to credit to .any decent licensee who was trying to better the condition of things. ' BAY OF PLENTY. mi T . . 1 Rotorua, Juno 9. Tho Licensing Court for the Bay of Plonti mot to-day. iUI the licenses were granted.' in the case of , two hotels tho police, wow asked, to mako a report at next meeting as to how thoy rrcro conducted during tho interval. The hotel at Oliiwa was'ordered to bo brought up to tho standard required by the before next mooting. In tho caso of tho Opotdci Hotel, Opotiki, the owners undertook either to mako considerable re- ■ pairs, or to arrange to erect a now buildina within three months. Tho reports regarding er I,otels iHtho dktrict BOTTLE LICENSE. ' ' m Dunodln, Juno 9. \\hen an application camo before the Li. consuig Committee this, morning for a bottle licenso tho committee rofusod tho application on ttio ground that they doubted their juris, diction to doal with it.