LICENSING POLLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1922, Page 3

LICENSING POLLS

—tfjffiy— — C.T.A. ATTITUDE. (Special to the Star.) CIIRISTUIIURCTL Mar-li 7. “That whereas Ihe tenure provided under the present Licensing Act is a hindrance to the erection of suitable hotels, and prevents the- provision oi tlie accommodation necessary for the increasing population, this Conference is of the opinion that in the interests of the travelling public, the- Local Option Pool should be taken at a period of not. less than six years,” read a remit from the Wellington Association considered at the annual meeting of the United Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen's Associat ion. The remit was moved by Mr. R. Al. Brewer (Wellington) who said that Parliament had set up a special committee to deal with licensing matters forthwith. There was no doubt that lbe commercial travellers and the travelling public were, not treated as they might bo in some, hotels, some of which were in need of better accommodation, but many publicans had said that they could not. improve their bouses when they did not know how long their tenure was. The remit was seconded by Mr. I l '. 11. King (Otago.) Air. 11. J. Clifton (Auckland) said the only objection was that the proposed minimum tenure was not long enough. In many eases accommodation would be extended if publicans knew that their tenure was for a longer jieriod, and such a knowledge would give much greater stability to all chartered clubs. His own club in Auckland would go ahead with a residential club if it knew that its charter would extend for a certain period of years. He would like to suggest that the motion be altered to provide for “not less than nine years.” Air. Brewer accepted the suggestion and in its changed form, the motion was carried unanimously.