CONDUCT OF HOTELS

Evening Star, Issue 22353, 1 June 1936, Page 10

CONDUCT OF HOTELS

POLKSE REPORT MOT FAVOURABLE CTMTHKS IF LICENSING CMMITTEE MMEINISIM IF IWI LEAPING HITELB ’ f‘ The report of the police with regard to- the conduct of hotels is by no inetkns 'favourable;” Said the chairman (Mr J. It. Bartholomew, S.M.) at the annual meeting of the 1 Dunedin Licensing’Committee to-day. On the other hand, it > was. stated that there .was general satisfaction at the condition of the hotels, and gratification was expressed that'two of the leading hotels would: have a large sum expended upon them ■ in, remodelling and modernising the premises.' -’Members : of the committee ’ present were Messrs .F. .W. Knight, J. S. Douglas. V. S. Jacobs, J. R. Drearer, and WV R.' Brown. ,

-The .Chairman said the committee had ,the usual report ■ from the police aiid-.'from the corporation inspectors. The report with regard .to the condition of.- buildings stated that the premises, with-, exceptions in the case of special reports,/were generally in a good state of and sound, and there seemed a dssire.by. licensees to keep their premises In a good state of repair. During the year-much renovating and repairing -had', been carried out. . “ Thefe is one matter to which attention has to be called,” said the Chairman. “ In almost all hotels where hand pumps are in use it was found that the pumps received little or no attention in that they were' hidden from view by being boarded, in, and on examination a coating of verdigris was found. It is suggested that all beer pumps be exposed so that they could be cleaned fre-. quehtly. The committee endorses that report, and desires that licensees give attention' to the matter during the ensuing yean. In this. connection it is interesting to note that, in one hotel the. ‘licensee has had installed an automatic electrically-driven compressor plant which forces the beer through specially lined pipe* instead of using the older .method of pumping or gravita- , ‘ The report of the condition of is generally satisfactory, and the committee was, pleased to note that plan* were put before it and approved during the year for extensive remodelling and modernising of two leading hotel*. . The proposed expenditure will run./into Some £50,000, and when the work is completed it will provide valuable I 'civic, aaeeta--to the city.” •Tirelve months ago. said the Chairman, 1 -the/committee had had occasion to-comment' on the matter of bopkmaking in hotels. It was pleasing to have an'aisuranoe from the police that during:l the past year/there had been no conviction* for betting on licensed preniisaa, and that: licensee* were making a genuine' attempt to .check it. The warßing from the committee at the last annual meeting had evidently had good effect. ..•It -was regrettable' that the same thing could not ha said with regard to the/ cqiiduci of ; hotels. The report of the police with regard to the conduct of hotels was by no means favourable. The .report showed that there had been nmhhera of convictions. There ■ had been, convictions in the case of no fewer than 11 hotels out of a total of 35, and, apart: from the convictions of licensees, there had been many instances of convictions of individuals for being found unlawfully on licensed premises. Even though the cases' of/men being found unlawfully on premises could not be sheeted home directly to the licensees, it was obvious that there must have berii/ considerable laxity in the conduct of the hotels. The committee had instructed him to stress that, as far as possible, it would back up the police in any action it might take to bring about a better state of affairs. ’ / . There was one part of the district where , conditions were such that the police’asked that ! attention be directed. That was the Maclaggan street area. There .had been repeated convictions, and there had also been, cases of large numbers of men being found unlawfully on/ premises. . In this connection it should, be pointed out that, though licensees .might be in occupation of hotels and , might : consider themselves fortified - by being , in , possession t they might, when applying to a magistrate fdr' e certificate of. fitness, find it a diffcult matter to satisfy that they wertf "suitable persons to hold licenses. It/.Was > hoped that the remarks - the cbmraittee hsd instructed him to make would beer fruit, TRANSFERS GRANTED. Atransfer' df ; the license of the European Motel from Robert Forest MarjJitlLto Frsncic Richard Loughran wa's granted, Mr D. A. Solomon appearing in' support, : , A trsrisfv of the license of the Criterion 'MoU-'l: from Andrew Sibhald to Francis John Fay was granted, Mr L. Simpson : appearing in support of the application. LICENSES GRANTED. Publicans’, licenses, were granted to Francis .R. .Loughran (European Hhfel) ' and Francis John Fay (CriteriopiHctel).' ■V. LICENSES RENEWED. Applications for renewals of licenses were granted in the following cases Essie Lillian Bedford (Normanby Hotel), William Leslie Buddioom (Cap r tain Cook Hotel), Qeorge - Hu;h M‘Donald (Green Island Hotel), Herbert Claiide Johnston (Oriental Hotel). Henry Mathie Allen-(Royal Albert Hotel), Annie, Margaret Hope (Robert Burns Hotel), James William Young (Brghsoii’s Hotel), James Mitchell (Victoria Hotel), John Millar (Oban Hotel), Alexander Stewart (Law Courts, Hotel). Louis Francis M‘Cormack ‘ (City Hotel), John Trengrove (Excelsior Hotel), Patrick Sarsfield Flood (Terminus Hotel). Allen Messent (Wharf Hotel), Henry Alfred Edmonds (Crown Hotel), Michael Keen (Metropolitan Hotel), Gerald Francis Hartnett. (Shamrock Hotel), John Richardson (Carlton Hotel), Arthur Albert Paape (Grand ' Hotel), George, .Albert Loughlan (Wain’s Hotel), David Charles Jolly (Provincial Hotel), Annie Blaney (Tattersall’s Hotel), Daniel Joseph Finnigan (Gridiron Hotel), Janet M’Ewan Hinchcliff (Prince of Wale* Hotel), John Simpson (Rugby Hotel). Thomas Edward Collins ((Southern Hotel), Albert Burrell (Oval Hotel). Thomas Clark Muir (Kensington • Hotel), Ellen Plank (Caledonian Grounds Hotel), William, Heffernan (South : Dunedin Hotel), and • Arthur Tilbury (Shiel Hill Hotel). In the eases of hotels in respect of which there had been convictions, the Chairman directed .the attention of the licensee’s to the remarks of the committee desiring a proper observance of the law. APPLICATIONS ADJOURNED. Patrick Treaty made application for the- renewal of- the publican’s license in * respect, of .the Gladstone Hotel. It was-pointed out. that considerable re-;

qnirements were desired in this hotel, and the committee decided that the matter should stand over till the next quarterly meeting for the necessary renovations and repairs to be done. Application was made for a renewal of the license of the Empire Hotel by Allan Angus Campbell. The committee adjourned the, application till the next quarterly meeting to allow of certain requirements to be carried out.

WHOLESALE LICENSES. Applications for the renewal of wholesale licenses were granted to the following:—W. Scoullar and Co.‘ Ltd., Lanes Limited, Mackerras and Hazlett Ltd.. Thomsons Limited, Murray. Roberts, and Co. Ltd., R. Wilson and Co. Ltd., James Lindsay, F. Meenan and Co., Dalgety and Co, Ltd.’ R. Powiey and Co. Ltd., Milne, Brebner Ltd l ., New Zealand Breweries Ltd., Wholesalers Ltd.. Neill and Co. Ltd., and Coutts and Co. Ltd.