WELLINGTON HOTELS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 213, 3 June 1919, Page 6

WELLINGTON HOTELS

CONDUCT SATISFACTORY

V ANNUAL MEETING OF LICENSING : r; COMMITTEE The annual, meeting of the Wellington Licensing Committee was held yesterday; > Mr. W. G, Hiddoll, S.M., presided, and there were also on the bench Messrs. G. Tiller, W. J. Helyer, G. J. Petherick, ~.W. Hildroth, and J. Smith. 'Tj l . o . P° lice re P ort stated that, with •a • few exceptions, tho conduot of the 'hotels had been satisfactory. Tho provisions of the Sale of Liquor Restriction ..,.i War Regulations, causing ' hotels to be olosed during the landing of.-troops, had been well observed on the J'hole, although some minor Conviotions had been reoorded, In 'regard to the New Commeroial Hotel, the license hqd been held J>y permit under seotion 138 of the Licensing Aot, 1908, by Charlotte Jane Durrant, widow of the late licensee, A. R. Durrant. "The oonduct of th£ hotel during the tern of Mts. Durrani management has not been Satisfactory," stated the report. "There are grounds for suspicion that a considerable trade "■■dunag prohibited hours is carried on, as frequently sergeants visiting the hotel after hours have found men, known to bo residents in the city, In tho hotel drinking. But, on eaoh occasion, Mrs. Durrant claims them, as boarders and shows their names entered in the bedroom boofc-evidently a subterfuge. This house is also frequented by a prominent bookmaker, and it is common rumour that betting ia carried on in tho hotol with the connivance of Mrs. Durrant, although no direct evidence has as yet .boon sustained to support a prosecution." Report on Other Hotels, Dealing with the Metropolitan Hotel, the report mentioned that tho roof was in need of repair, and water leaked into three • bedrooms and guests' room. The outbuildings (it the Foresters' Arms Hotel required renovating, and othor work, needed to be done. The license of the Shamrock Hotel had been held' by Johanna Oben, widow of the late licensee, H. W. Oben. It , had been conducted somewhat loosely, numbers of drunken persons having been seen in the viclntiy, out, during .the past month, after .'a warning, there had been a considerable improvement. 'Speaking of the Princess / Hotel, the licensee of which was James , Elleray, the report said that the conduot of this house had been-only, fairly-satis-factory during the year. A- number of persons had been convicted at different times of being found on the premises under circumstances giving ground for suspicion' thnt after-hour trading had been carried on. The licensee was convicted >on April 4, 1919, and fined £5 for re--fusing to; admit the police promptly, and further charges of a similar nature were pending against him and his wife. "The police report with regard to tho conduct of .premises .for the past year shows that tho great majority of tho ■ .hotels in AYellington have been/well conducted," said Mr. Riddell. "There are four hotels on which the report'is not quite so favourable. Seein? that there are only .four out of the number of hotels : that there are in tho district, and that '.' the' balance .of the licensees .can conduct '/their*hotels well, it seems that it should be' riiiite within the means of the licensees of th§se particular hotels to come within the same c'ategorv as those who have conducted . their hotels properly during the last twelve months." A number of '" breaches .had been reported within the ' past quarter in different hotels, but they called for no comment.

Application ivas made for the transfer of tbo l'.cense of the New Commercial : Hotel to Mrs. C. J. Dufrant. ■Sir' John Findlay nnpeared for the applicant and asked fhat the matter stand adjourned for three months. He was prepared to brins; ■ witnesses as to fitness, but he understood the Inspector .of .Polico had witnesses on the other side. There were certain difficulties, legal as well as others, to !)e explained, and it was for that Teason that he desired an adjournment. Mr. Biddell said that the application would ho granted subject-to Mrs. Durrant giving an undertaking that she would conduct the hotel in a proper manner (•during'the three months. Sir John Findlay: I havo'assured tlw inspector that tliei undertaking will bs strictly observed. We are not making any' admissions that • the hotel has not been .properly, conducted, and we. will strenuously maintain that position, if pos-sible,-'later.., In the meantime we givs tljlo assurance that the hotel will be pro.perly conducted. The committee granted the application for. an adjournment.

Applications in respect to the renewals -of'.the.'licenses of the Foresters' Arnia ..Hotel (Daniel Buckley) and the Metro..pqlitan Hotel (H. R. Wallace) were adjourned until July 7 to enable repairs to'be'carried out. Transfers and Renewals. Thev 'following applications wers granted:— ■ Permanent Transfers—J. S. Duncan to J. S. Vial, Cfrand Hotel'; Edith Bessie Carrig (administratrix) to Edith Bessif. • Carrig, Clyde Quay Hotel; Johanna Oben (administratrix) to Johanna Oben, Shamrock Hotel. New Applications in Respect of Olil Oben, Shamrock Hotel; Edithißessie Carrig, Clyde Quay Hotel; Edward James Stuart, Cricketers' Arms Hotel; John James Firth, Albion Hotel; G. H. Tiller, Brunswick Hqtel; Thomas Kingston, Occidental Hotel; J. S. Vial, Grand Hotel; At. J. J. ltoche, Caledonian ' Hotel; Charles E. Aldridgo, Grand Hotel.

Renewals.—S. Gilmer, Royal Oak Hotel; Philip, Lucass Firth, Cambridge Hotel; LouifpPercival O'Brien, Masonic Hotel; vTohny Charles Mason, Panama Hotel s Annie Agnes, Holbrook, Dominion Hotel; J. J. Marriott, Western Park Hotel;. Arthur M'Donald, Central Hotel; C. P. Priest,' Terminus Hotel; A. J. Monro, ,New Zealander Hotel; H. W. Bans, City Hotel; Martin Gleeson, Royal Tiger Hotel; Joseph Dwycr, Midland Hotel; Richard Dwyer, Empire Hotel; David Dalton, Barrett's Hotel; H. AV. Muir, Post Office Hotel; F. J. Oakes, Duke of Edinburgh Hotel; Annie Sullivan, Pier Hotel; Frederick Dobson, Clarendon Hotel; James Dealy, Railway Hotel; F. Hilton, National Hotel; Percy Mills,Royal Hotel; B. O. Englundh, Britannia Hotel; Percy Rogers, Te Aro Hotels B. O'Brien, Victoria Hotel; William Hannalin, Thistle Inn Hotol; James Elleray, Princess Hotel; Martin Ryan, Wellington Hotol; Percy Curtis, Imperial Hotol; James M'Donald, Albert Hotel; M. .1. O'Brien. Prince of Wales Hotel; Mrs. F. M. Paulsen, Carlton Hotel; Itonora Wholan, Alhambra Hotel; Francis Eugene M'Parland, Tramway Hotel; P. J. Griffin, Gresham Hotel; James M'Parland, Cecil Hotel; Mary M'Gnire,'White Swan Hotel.

Wholesale Licenses (l(enewals).—A. E. Kernot, Ltd.; Peter S. Lawrio; Laery, Beveridgo and Co., Ltd.; Reginald Collins, Ltd.; David Anderson and Son; John M'llraith; William DaVid Dobson; Harold William Brown; Ellis and Manton, Ltd.; Wairarapa. Fanners' Co-opera-tive Association, Ltd.; Gollin and Co. Proprietary, Ltd.; W. it. Bap'natyne and Co., Ltd.; Levin and Co., Ltd.; Frank AV ells; E. T. Taylor; Preston and Co.; and T. and W. Young and Co.

Packet licenses were also granted in rcopect of the steamers Manuka, Moeraki, Pateena, and Maponrika.