TOURIST HOSTELS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 3 October 1936, Page 5

TOURIST HOSTELS

PETITIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES TRANSFERS COULD BE MADE (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, 2nd October. The question of granting liquor licences at tourist resorts was discussed at some length in the House of Representatives when petitions bearing on the subject were reported on by the M to Z Public Petitions Committee of the House. In each case the committee recommended that as a question of policy was involved the petition should be referred to the Government for consideration.

The first petition reported on was that of J. C, Rowley and 75 others, of Hawea, praying for an amendment to the Licensing Act, 1908, to permit the granting of licences at tourist resorts where no licensed accommodation was at present provided. The two other petitions were those of M. Sullivan and another, of Weheka, praying for an amendment to the Act to enable them to obtain a licence at their Fox Glacier hostel; and of W. S. Clinch and 474 others, of Matamata, praying for an amendment to provide for the issue of a licence or licences to Matamata.

Mr W. A. Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) urged the Government to give the question careful consideration. The desired amendment could be brought about by the deletion of a few words from the Licensing Act, and licensing committees would then have power to deal with cases such as that mentioned in the Hawea petition. He contended that steps should be taken to permit the transfer of licences, as there were many cases, particularly in gold-mining districts, of licences which did not serve any useful purpose. These could be used to advantage in the great tourist districts of the South Island, which could not be adequately exploited without licensed accommodation. Every adult voter at Hawea had signed the petition before the House, and there was a good case for the granting of a licence there. The Hawea hostel was on the main tourist road between Mount Cook and the southern lakes and it was also a favourite smarting place for deer-stalkers, so that it was highly desirable that it should be licensed. It was only a simple amendment of the Act that was needed.

The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage: It would be a simple amendment, but it would be a declaration of war at the same time.

Speaking on the Weheka petition, Mr J. O’Brien (Government, Westland) said that petitioner and his brother had gone to a great deal of expense in erecting their hostel at the Fox Glacier, but they were hampered by not being able to supply tourists with a glass of wine with their meals. There were districts on the West Coast with more licences than they needed, and it seemed anomalous that a tourist hostel could not supply its guests with liquor when they desired it. At Kumara there were nine licences, but the business was so poor that sometimes the licensee of a hotel had to go on the dole or the No. 5 scheme to keep the establishment going. It was said that if one hotelkeeper received a few shillings from customers he immediately went and spent half of the money at another hotel in order to assist his fellow.

The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates said he wished to impress on the Government the need for some action in the matter.

Mr T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton): Why did you not take action?

“I did try on one occasion,” said Mr Coates, “and while I had to accept defeat there was a good deal to be said on the side of those who were defeated. I realise that in the King Country, for instance, there is a reason for not granting liquor licences to tourist hostels, but on the West Coast and in the southern lake districts there should certainly be licensed accommodation.” The recommendations of the committee were carried.