"EXIT LICENSE."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 548, 1 July 1909, Page 6

"EXIT LICENSE."

ORDERLY CROWDS AT WEWTOWty. Aocording to the duly declared wish of over three-fifths of tho _ electors who exercised their votes in Wellington South at tho last. General Eloction the licenses in regard to the four hotels in that district expired last night. By some it was thought that the occasion, would bo marked by some "fun." As it happened, however, License made its exit from the district very quietly indeed. Daring the evening all tho hotels in question dkf what is usually described as "a roaring trade." The ranks of patrons of tho two hotels at Newtown wore swelled by a largo contingent from other parts of tho city. Half an hour before closing time there was little to givo the impression that anything unusual was transpiring. Outside each of tho hotels 1 just referred to was a. hansom, whilst there was a fair sprinkling of pebple, chiefly men, on the footwalks. A glance insidp one of tho .doomed hostelries at 20 minutes' to 10 showed that business'was beginning to slacken off, this apparently being due to the fact that the supply of draught beer had given out. There was still a 1 large crowd in the bars, however, and the barmen were straining eveiy nerve to dispose of the fast-diminishing stick of bottled ales. Hero, as at tho other hotels, a striking featqro was the sobriety of patrons. For sofno minutes before 10 o'clock rang out the - lioensee stood guard at the main door and the crowd began to file out. There was then some cheering, and the building "quickly cleared; Standing room was at a premium; in another hotel during tho last half hour, and when 10 o'clock arrived the crowd seemed loth to take a 1 hurried departure.' To ( some it was necessary for the assistance I of the police to make it clear that the premises, though legally jicensed till midnight, were not; licensed to_ remain open beyond the hoiir then striking. One of the more lively spirits essayed a speech from a oounter, but be was bowled down by the crowd, who jocularly cried: "We want more beer."- when the licensee attempted to make a few remarks at the door he was greeted with— ' i ' 'r'Oh, Mr. —1 Good Mr. —1" "Yours is tho finest 'pub.' there ever was." j ' ..'' ~ , Proceedings were equally orderly at the two hotels in other parts of the electorate. PROCEEDINGS AT AUCKLAND. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) .' Auckland,' June 30. . The closing of the various, hotels, affected by., the No-License or Reduction votes took place this evening. There was little, or no demonstration, although a good, day's and evening's business was done, at all., the houses. At the Bricklayers' Arms Hotel the crowd was inclined to be a little; rowdy. ' ■ . ■ ANIMATED NIGHT IN MASTERTON. (By Telegniph.-Bpecial Correspondent.) Masterton, Juno'3o. Masterton >"ofon dry" at ten o'clock this evening.. Curiosity was keen as to whether ihuch outward public interest would bo manifested'in the event. Matters were quiet during the' day, and there was not, moi;e than, the usual "stock day" ofowd in town. During; the! day flags were hoisted at. at some of the hotels, and these flapped,listlessly, in the rain. It was genially anticipated that matters would prove Very slow, but subsequent' events;, however., provea rather different. ' 'At half-past; eight m the evening a fair crowd thronged tie streets, but nothing of an excitirig, nature was'.visible. The "bars "at"the.' various hotels were well filled," but'everything was orderly. At ,'nino. o'clock .your representative met' Sergeant Miller, who anticipated a quiet evening,-, and stated that, only two, cases of drunkenness had so far come under the cafe of his men. At about twenty minutes, to tori, however, crowds began to flock into the hotels, and matters took a mo'ro lively turn. Snatches of songs and peals of laughter issued" from various houses:' The Prince .of Wales Hotel was packed to the doors, and it was impossible-to gain aidmittanoe. V iewed from outeido only a great , ski of humanity, ' oould be'seen inside, aa'd as, far m'oould be judged .it would have : taken'.'.'twenty bartenders to oopo with tho trade'/ As tho. town clock struck, ten; an enormous. crowd 'gathered outside ,: this' hostelry, no'"'doubt -"attracted by tho cheers and noise, and it was with the greatest difficulty l that; the; hotel was cleyed. Pandemonium seemed'to'. reign for about a quarter of an ; hour, and nothing could be heard, but shouting, whistling; sing-; iiig, and groaning, l interspersed with/Maori hakas ana the rendering of' "Aiild '■- Lang Syne." Presently in tho distanoo was heardj tbo skirl of bagpipes.:and, a number of pipers piping' their loudest, reached, the scenoi'i They Queen Street, and a crowd of about'seventeen hundred followed. ' When the Occidental jHotel : was reached the music ceasedj and- further-noises of celebration wore -indulged' in, hut it was long before all ■ wais q'uioti Ono iioticeable feature of the "celebrations" was 'the. absence o{ brawling of any kind. On. the whole I the, closing scenes of,,"License", will .' long bo remembered .in Masterton.'' . THROWING PHOSPHORUS. I ' (By TclOErapli.—ProßS Association.) , I • Masterton, June 30. . i Just as the crowds who wcro out to seei tho demonstration in connection with? tho closing of .the hotels were, making their.' way home at half-past, ten, an alarin of fir6,was sounded. Investigation showed the. outbreak to bo in a building at the rear- of the l'rinco of Wales Hotel. It appears, that a dance was being' held by the employees of, the. hotel,, as a wind-up, to the'?daya of license, and ' sohie hoys, , who . bad been repeatedly refused admission, are .alleged to iiave thrown, phosphorus into, tliei room through an open, windowj On to'some'clothes which caught fire. In endeavouring; to throw the phosphorus outside, . threo .'men ' were badly""burned about the head and; face, and had, to obtain- medical a'ssistaiice.. jThe fire was put out beforo, much damage done. )'■■■ . - ——'r—' y i. 7 . £88,000 WORTH OF PROPERTY AFFECTED. J ■ " (By Tolozraph.—Special Oorrcspondont.) 1 ; Auckland, Juno 30. Tho loss involved by tho closing of tho five hotels in Auckland city to-night is estimated at ; between £16|000' .aiid £18,000,' whilst the in' Eden is stated to represent a loss of about £10,000. The operation of reduction in Mamikau (throe hotels) is calculated to cost tho trade roughly about ■, £7500, whilst tho estimate forTarnell (two houses) is placed at about £5000. The fourteen hotels in Ohinemuri ivdll, of course, increase tho total considerably,; and. the amount of the .loss in these cases, has been roughly estimated by a member of, the trade at about £5000.' These figures give an'aggregate from £88,000 to £90,000 for the Auckknd district.- In some cases-the present licensees, oi]' other'tenants, are arranging for new leases of the' hotels •with a view to carrying on, the premise? as boardinghouses. In other -instances the hotels will be transformed ; into shops, but, in many i oases, no decision has'yet; been arrived at. In regard to the future destiny of the doomed houses yif the five city hotels to bo closed, tho Raih. ay Hotel, Terminus, Park, and Bricklayers' Amis are to be converted into boardinghouses'. Tho Fitzroy Hofel may bo similarly dealt with, i whilst tho Newton ..Hotel will probably be oonverted into shops. Tho' hotel at Clevedon will booome a store, and the same change will probably take place in regard to the Harp'of Erin and the hotel at Henderson. The Avondalo and St. Heliers Bay; houses. are being offered for sale, whilst the. Star and Garter at Panmuxe .will, in all likelihood, ;be pulled down, and either erected on another sito, or the timber,.utilised in tbo erection of; a number of : cottages. It is pro.bafolo that raOst of the Ohinomuri hotels will beoomo boardinghouses.