The Hutt News Wednesday, May 10, 1945 HUTT LICENSES

Hutt News, Volume 18, Issue 43, 16 May 1945, Page 5

The Hutt News Wednesday, May 10, 1945 HUTT LICENSES

The results of the "Hutt News" "Straw Ballot" regarding the location of additional licensed hotels in the Lower go a long way towards endorsing the attitude of the local witnesses before the Licensing Commission. It, will be remembered that while these local witnesses all stressed the lack of accommodation in Lower Unit, not one of them was prepared to advocate "Additional licenses. There were very good reasons for this apparently anomalous attitude but the fact remains that such attitude is shared by a very large-percentage of citizens. ; Of the total votes received in the "Straw Ballot" exactly fifty ' per cent favour NO additional licenses. Of those who did favouradditional' licenses iilty per cent restricted the new hotels to one or two. Less than a dozen votes were received from people advocating more than four additional licenses. The highest suggested number was nine..

As' to the suggested localities, 6'f these licenses an overwhelmingmajority voted for High Street. Waterloo, Naenae and Moera received moderate support, but 15 other localities, all more or less in residential areas, received but one or two votes apiece. All of which goes to show that the Lower Hutt witnesses who gave evidence before the Licensing Commission were reasonably correct ifi their interpretation of public opinion when they demurred at a number of additional licenses being granted, ! and emphatically opposed licenses in residential areas".