CHANGED ROUTES

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4012, 11 August 1931, Page 2

CHANGED ROUTES

ANOMALY IN LICENSING LAW WELLINGTON, August -J. In supporting the Bill by Mr Mason (Auckland Suburbs) for an amendment of the licensing law giving improved facilities for the sale of New Zealandmade wine. Mr Williams (Bay ot Plenty) referred to an aspect of licensing affecting many country localities. He called the Government’s attention to an anomaly in the law in reference to the removal of a license or hotel. This limited the removal to half a mile in a borough, or not exceeding one mile in a county. Everyone knew who travelled in New Zealand that, owing to main roads having been built and traffic diverted to other channels, many hotels were now situated tar from the traffic stream, and were of no convenience to the travelling public, though ii® new hotels wore being erected on the frequented routes. This alteration m the dominion’s reading system made it imperative that hotel licenses be removed to where they would ho ol use to the public and where the licensees had a reasonable chance of making the hotels pay. There wore many such cases in his district, and one was considered at a recent meeting of the Poverty Bay Licensing Committee—the Motu Hotel, which, when the new road in Waioeka Valley was opened, would he eleven or twelve miles oft the main traffic- and tourist route. There was no hotel available for the public travelling from Opotiki to Gisborne till they reached Te Karaka, seventeen or eighteen miles from Opotiki. The police inspector had reported on the position, and lie recommended his opinions to the Government’s consideration, while the chairman of the committee also considered the application for transfer of the license a proper one. He hoped the House would allow Mr Mason’s Bill to proceed so that an amendment to meet such cases as he had described could be inserted in committee. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Industries and Commerce Committee.