MT. IDA LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume 37, Issue 9614, 13 December 1907, Page 3

MT. IDA LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Hie quarterly mooting wus held on the litl inst. There was a full bench —viz,, Missrn M'Kniiia S.M. (ohairman), Stewart, Mtchell, liuler, Kinney. M Kni^lit. Transfer. t liilni Richards to H Drake. .Jockey Club Holel, Omiikiiu Mr- M'Neil appeared in support. of tho application, and Mr Kirk for fl:< Ij;i itlm In (ilijcjt A wM i M'Neil asked for att acljoimiment,, us was sprung r^H[ lim at the iaat chairman did not seom inclined to i A 'irajßi' M'Ncil's request, opened his case. He said that en if!" titcc (if the application it appeared to 1"/' ii .genuine imo for u transfer. If the signature was .1. Richard's it Was obtained to si blank printed form, in tho body of which nothing wua filled in. At the time it wus signed j if it- wero signed by Richards, lie did not know of t.be existence of Henry Drake Tho date on the application was not I lie date on which tho form was signed by Kichards At the present, tinio Richards did not apply to transfer the license. Tho writing in the Inni) had been filled in subsequently to the date of tho signature. Tho application forms were not intended to bo used as they worn used. Richards bought the property from A. Eraser, paying clown somo hundreds, the balance being secured by mortgage. Some, months later tho plaoo was destroyed by lire. The insurance did not meet all liabilities. Richards had since refused £2OO for the license. The creditors wore pressing Richards, and Jas Samson met him and of fered to arrange with them. The unsecured creditors accepted a composition and Samson paid I,hem £l4O. At this time Richards signed transfers of the leasehold and freehold tio Samson. He also took over folio stock. Ho wti amply secured but he further got Richards to sign a blank form for the transfer of the liconse. The agreement was between A. Eraser and Samson on the one part and Richurds on tho other They agreed to rebuild and refurnish the premises and let them to Richards for 30s a week. He wan told that the transfer was aimpl y in protect Samson in tho event of any trouble arising. Tho license was granted to Richards and also leave to carry on business in temporary premises. Samson and Fraser t hen 'icpar.ited, and tho former rebuilt the premi.iies lie declined to refurnish, but mid lo Richards ho was putting down the linoleum and would send up a capable man in (lo ii . That capable man was the gontlemun t.<> whom I hey wore now asked to transfer the license, (in reply to the chairman, Mr Kirk said a writ hud been issued in the Supremo Court for £l*2oo damages, but the cane c.ould not come on until the B'ebruary nil ting of the court). Samson then wanted Richards to vary the terms of the louse, but he refused, as he found that the new agreement contained a clause enabling Samson to put liiin out at tho end of twelve mouths if lie wished to do so. At this stage Mr Kirk said he would have to mention the name of one of the committee, and he would like to kuowi if that member wero going to sit and dw." with tho matter.

'' Mr M'Neil ugain usked tor an adjournment, and after some discussion an adjournment whb granted till the 20th at 3 p.m, Rioh<irda was allowed £2 expenses and £1 la professional fee. Mr M'Neil asked the committee to record that, Drake could carry on the license till the 20th, and the committee agreed. Extension till 11 p.m. H Krown (Mr M'N«ilV—Extension till 11 o'clock f r the Ballaiat Hotel, Stßathuna. Mr M'Ncil auid tho facts were thosame as those in Noxtnn's ouse heard at Inst meeting Applicant had notified Constable Kennedy and he rotnrnod a memo to the effect that he hud no objection. Tho chairman s.iid the committee hud decided to adjourn this application until the 20th inst, in order that the application for trunnfer of the liconse might first come before thorn. Similar applications by H Coughlan, J Ryan, E L Black and T H Purlano, Naseby, were hoard Mr M'Neil appeared for the two formor and Mr Kirk for the others. Mr M'Neil said that 10 o'clock closing had now boon given a good trial, and the hotolkoopcrs' experience was thutit wasmuch bettor for themselves and the general public when tho hour of closing was 11 o'olock. This would apply more forcibly now the summer months were coming on. A number ot people lived a good distauce from the town, and by the time they 'got up town After their day's work it was noarly II o'clock, ' Christinas was coming on :md there would bo a number of the travelling , public about, and it was not fuir they should have to bo in *hc hotel by 10 o'clock. Tho races too would draw a crowd to the town, and once a month tho County Council meeting was hold, and ratepayers often. had to consult their roproßontutives < These arguments would apply more forcibly in future when we had our own charitable aid und hospital boards. In a town dko Nasoby the conditions wore tjnito different to those in big cities. Hero the only 'neeting place for people coming in was tho hotols, and it was hardly tho thing that unyono going in to soo a friend should bo put to the risk ot a broach of tho licensing laws. Constable Lemrri had put in a report to tho effect that ho saw no reason why exception should bo taken to 10 o'clock closing, which amply mot tho requirements of tho public. Tho County Council mot only mien a month and its business was generally over before 10 o'clock, I'owor pooplo went homo undor tho influence of drink since tho early closing Ho had heard no complaints about it from tho public. Many townspeople told him tho.y approved of tho 10 o'olock closing. ,1 Ryan, proprietor of the Royal Hotei, sitid that 10 o'clock closing did not suit tho boarders and travellers He hid an average of six or seven boarders He did not sit up till 11 o'clock and they wore put to tho in convenience of going round to tho back Some timos he would go to the door for a knock aud Hud it was someone who was not a boarder wanting to get in ; at others, think ing it was a stranger ho neglectod to answer tho Itnouk of a boarder Tho County Council for instance, often sat till after 10 In the summorjthe inconvenience would be greater He was usually full at the Xmas und ruce time Commercial travellers found 11 suited them better thun 10

To Mr Kirk :—His experience waa that pooplo who wanted to get drunk would do so by 10 just; as oanily as by 11 He hud noon practically no druukonnoss this last two } ours. Mr Kinney tmiil Mr M'Neil's remarks with regard to people corning to sec county eoun , oWlors wero quite uorruut KjutißtUilriu Loin in made a few remarks in flftort of his report jflfr Kirk Imvins/ made a few remarks on Wo legal aspect of the case, The Chairman said that three eoinuiittee men opposed mid two favoured the extension, and he did not fuel disposed to vote and then give >v easting vote The applications would bo refused, General ( Cornelius Klynn (Mr M'Neil)—Applica felon for pt'tiniHKiim to curry on tho license of tho Victoria Hotel, Livingstone, for unoiher three months Tho licensee had died and tho business had not yet boon disposed of— Granted Bryan Iflaunery Blacks Hotel (Mr Kirk). —Conditional licunso for Vincent Jockey Club's races on Ist and 2nd January,— Granted from 10 a.in till 7,30 prri. Mr Kirk uppliuiL/'jr a similaji licenso for «tho proprietor of tjßkVuloiin fUfml 111 eon <j uoution with the rates on Box-/ injj; Day,— Grunted tw above, ) Tho tee was lixod at XI per day. Mr Kirk also applied 011 behalf of Junius M'Guekin to carry on the license of Line Commercial Hotel Umakau for three months. —Granted, f