LICENSING COMMISSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 May 1945, Page 2

LICENSING COMMISSION

LICENSEES’ BALANCE-SHEETS

AUCKLAND, May 11.

The opinion that hotel licensees would not wish to have their evidence I about balance-sheets and other confidential and private information made public was’ expressed by Mr. H. f. O’Leary, K.C., representing the New Zealand Licensed Victuallers’ Association, at a sitting of the Royal Comi mission on Licensing this morning. I Mr. O’Leary considered that in many cases these witnesses’ evidence would | not be reported in full, and conseI quently it could give a wrong impresI sion t® the public. He asked the comI mission to give further consideration i to the question of the type of information mentioned being given in ©public. “Where specific charges are going to be made against a hotelkeeper or others, we should be provided with the details of the charges, otherwise we are unable to meet the charges forthwith,” said counsel. He submitted that an opportunity should be given for such charges to be met at once.

Mr. Justice Smith said that consideration would be given, and in the meanwhile certain evidence would be held over. Cross-examined by Mr. Hardie Boys, representing the New 7 Zealand Alliance. William John Pritchard, licensee of the Shakespeare Hotel, said he banked between £4OO and £5OO weekly. Questioned by Mr. Boys and Mr. O’Leary about his earnings as a manager, witness said that he was a traveller for Dominion Breweries and had been asked two years ago to take over the Shakespeare Hotel as a temporary manager. That arangement still stood. His wife was paid separately' for her work al the hotel, and their joint earnings were now equivalent to £lOOO a year, including board. Alexander Watt, manager of the Britomart Hotel, cross-examined by Mr. Boys, said that the slock sheets showed the turnover for the hotel fos the week ending on April 26 (a week of four days and Saturday, because of Anzac Day closing) was 1281 gallons and in takings £7OB/19/8. TOURISTS’ ACCOMMODATION

AUCKLAND, May 11. The amendment of the law to admit habitual drunkenness as sufficient ground for separation was urged upon the Pioyal Commission on Licensing by Mrs R. M. Metcalfe, J.P., giving evidence on behalf of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children. Mrs Metcalfe said that with an endeavour to discover exactly how much domestic trouble was directly attributable to excessive drinking, a survey has been mau'e of 267 cases dealt with by her office during 1944. It was found that 86 cases were in that category. They had found, said witness, that a prohibition order was not sufficiently effective, because the subject of the order could obtain liquor through friends or in districts where he was not known. On the experience of the society also it had been found that separation could not be gained on the grounds of habitual drunkenness alone. Recommedations for improved hotel accommodation foj‘ tourists were made to the Royal Commission by Mr R. E. Champtaloup, on behalf of the North and South Island (New Zealand) Motor Unions. A statement read by Mr Champtaloup said that hotel accommodation fell short of overseas standards in regard tc the insufficient number of hotels providing luxury acommodation. and other amenities. In any amendment to the laws,, it was recommended that provision should be made for liquor to be readily available at all hotels in the recognised tourist centres, particularly such national resorts as Waitomo. the Chateau, Waikaremoana, Milford Sound, and Fox Glacier. Public drinking bars in hotels should be completely segregated from . the accommodation quarters. Provision should "be made to enable tourist hotels to provide dancing, billiards and other entertainment for the guests in the evenings. It was nlso argued that hotels should be classified into five categories according ip the standard of service maintained, the style of the building, and . its amenities, furnishings, and catering