CONDUCT OF HOTELS.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 833, 4 September 1906, Page 3

CONDUCT OF HOTELS.

Meeting Of Licensing Bench

The removal of Ibe license of tho Junction Hotel, Longburn, from the old to tho new tile opposite tho railway station, was granted by the Licensing Committee yesterday (Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M., presiding). Mr Fraser, the owner of tho old building, declared that he had no objections to make to the removal. T. Child', licenseo of tbe Commercial Hotel, submitted rough plans of additions he proposes to make to the roar of his hotel The additions will consist of bedrooms principally, and an enlargement of tho dining room. Permission to make the additions was granted, subject to them meeting with the approval of the Benoh, AN ADVERSE REPORT. Tbe Inspector reported adversely on the Family Hotel. His remarks were as follows: -1 havo to report that this house has been conduotod during the timo Mr Smith has held the license very badly. He appears to have no respect for Sundays or " after hours," and leaves his place in charge of his son to manage while he goes upstairs to bed. This eon has only one idea about hotelkeeping and that is to break the law.

Sergeant Stagpoole stated that several complaints had been made by the publio about this hotel, On a Sunday morning about a month ago he visited the hotel and found five or six men in tho sitting room, and the house in oharge of the son. He said the men wero all boarders; he did not know their names, but said some of them had engaged their rooms that morning. One man was drunk, Witness insisted on the boy's father being called down, and on his appearance he said the men were all boarders. Whoroupon witness asked for the bed book, but none of the names of tho men were entered therein. The licensee said no drinks had been served that day. His son just previously had said he had only served three that morning. Constable Hunter on another ocoasion had visited the hotel after 11 o'clock p.m., and had found men on the premises.

Mr Innes, who appeared for the licensee, called the latter, who said the statements of the Inspeotor were absolutely untrue. Witness had never sold liquor j on Sunday or after hours, nor had it been sold. Mon had come to him and asked him, as they were in good positions to give them some liquor, but he had refused. He had said it was not beoause he was afraid of the polioo, but beoause he had pledged his word to the Magistrate and the Licensing Committee not to break the law, and no power on earth would m»ke him break his word of honour. On the occasicn on the Sunday mentioned by the Inspector the keys wore in his possession, and it would be impossible for his son to serve diink, as was seen by the fact that he could not got into the bar to proonre the bed book for ths polioe. All tho men on the premises then were boarders with one exception, and witness did not know bow that man got on tbo premises. Witness did not think that drink could be obtained without witness' permission while he had the keys. Witness was not in bed; he was simply upstairs in his Bitting room,

Witness was cross-examined at length on the "bed" book and the entries therein, and as to when the different entries bad been made. Witness said they had been written up regularly.

Coustab'.e O'Connor, who had accompanied the sergeant on the Sunday, gave evidence in support of the latter'B statements. The son had said one of the men thero had had three drinks. Witness did not know who the man was. The son tried to explain who the several men were and he could not. Smith then was brought downstairs and he could not explain who the men were. Smith ran after them (the police) as they were leaving and persisted that the men had not been given drink. Witness also gave evidenoe as to a visit made to the hotel one night after hours. There were several men inside, but they were boarders. They were not in the bar, and they said thev were having supper. There were no signs of supper about. The men were kicking up a row, talking fight and swearing. The son said it would not happen agajto. Cross-examined on the visit the Sergeant had made on the Sunday, witness said the licensee's son htd the keys of the bar before his father oame downstairs. He got the bed book and tried to explain it before his father oame down.

Constable Hnnter gave corroborative evidenoe aa to the disturbance and drink being supplied after hours.

His Worship pointed out that the men who were supplied after hoars being boarders, no breach in that matter bad been committed.

Robert Smith, son of the licensee, denied that he had served auy liquor on the Sunday morning, and also that he had told th 6 Sergeant so. Witness, when he left the polio?, went upstairs, got the keys of the bar from his father, and brought the bed book from the bar, and when he and the police were look ing at it his father came down. Previous to that two names had been entered in the book by witness. Witness, after breakfast, had got the keys from his father and entered the names, putting the book back in the bar, and finally returning the keys to his father, That was before the police oame. The polioe were telling lies when they said witness admitted he had supplied three drinks that morning.

WitneßS was closely examined by the S.M. in regard to his evidenoe where it conflicted with the statements of the oonstable, also on points where it appeared to be at variance with his father's.

T. E. Comming, a lodger, said that no drink,had been supplied in the room that morning. Witness had never seen the licensee serve drink on Sundays or after hours. Hundreds had asked for it.

The Magistrate: What 1 hundreds have asked for it ?

Witness: Yes, hundreds,

William Bissett, who was thirteen years in the polioo force at Home, said the hotel was the best conducted in Pal merstonor even in the North Island. The bar was always dosed at five minutes to eleven o'clock every* night. Had never seen drink sold after eleven o'clock,

This conoluded the evidenoe

The Bench retired to consider the case, and upon resuming Mr Thomson said the Bench believed the licensee had been doiDg his beet to run the house strictly, and were not prepared to say theie was any illegal sale of drink on Sunday, Ist July, but there was no doubt on that oooasion a man was there under the influence of drink who had no right to be on the promisee, and the licensee showed that that was so by putting him out after tbe police left. They were satisfied also that the licensee's son was not a success as a barman, and if Mr Smith was staying on they would expect a chaDge in that respeot. They were not satisfied with the explanation as to tbe keeping of the bedroom book. Under tbe circumstances, tbe Committee did not think any further aotion necessary.'

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