BOROUGH LICENSING COMMITTEES.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3978, 1 June 1885, Page 3

BOROUGH LICENSING COMMITTEES.

The annual meetine of the borough licensing committees took place yesterday in th»» cniirthoime. There were present — Mr J. H. Barr (chairman), and Meßsre Kennedy, Bay, Lemon, and Allan. FOTJUE REPORT. Inspector Thompson submitted the following report with reference to licencing matters generally ; I have the honor to report, for your Information, that, »ocordiDg to the statistic* of the RegUtrar-General, tho estimated population of Oamaru is now 6.">37. Bating a further estimate on the cenem returns, whloh show th»t the average number of persona te eaoh hnuFe is five, this, omitting fractions, would leave us 1317 dwnUing-house*. The number of licences (not Including the railway refreshment rooms) is as follows : Publioans. 14: Dottle, 7; wholesale 3 ; nr. ■till omitting fraction", * license to every 54 houses and to every 274 persons (of course, inolnding all ages and both sexes) ; or a publican* licence to every 94 dwelllogi and ©very 470 persons. The number of persons arrested for drunkenness dnring the yo- r ending 31s l - M»y ult. was 157. And, in passing, it might be as well to remark that of the persons arrested for drunkenness in Oamaru, but » vory small proportion— considerably leu than one-fourth — are resident in the borough, A comparison of these matters as they are now and aa they were five years since, will rhow that the drinking habits of the people •re vory mnch altered for the better. It is difficult to say to what the change is due, but I think It mu»t be admitte i that the activity of our temperanoe organisation it one, and not the least potent factor in bringing it »bnut. In 1850, etill quoting from the RegistrarGeneral's report, the estimated population of Oamaru was 5098 persons, and, applying the lamo rule, 1019 dwellings. Tho numl ;r ( f Hcen«es was ai follows : Publloans' (not including the r«ilway refreshment roomi). 14 ; bottle, 10 ; whole»ale. 5 This left a license to evary 35 dwellings and *^ every 175 periona, and a publican's lioenie to every 72 dwellings and to erary 364 penont. The mimbnr of persons arrested for drunkenness du r ing the year ended 31st May, 1880, was 424. It may, I think, be fairly assumed that the quantify of liquor omtumed is very much less now than It was then, still the number of license i i« but slightly altered. Tha question, therefore, may arise whether the number cf licenie*. ear. jially publicans' licenses, might not be reduced without serious inconvenience to the public, or in jury to 'h* licensees Eearing In mind the faot that during the pait ye»r the licensees of f iup of the leading hotels in the I jrcigh retired from the management, and that It i« «n open secret th»t they did so because the profits were not sufficient to pay for their labor, and that at prenent two large hotels, erected at considerable expense, aro but partly furniih-d, I think the question might ha answered in the affirmative. THAMES DISTRICT An application wns made by John Plsnk for a license for the North Town Belt hotel. Mr Newton appeared for the applicant, and nald that nlthoiißh the application was made iD the name of John Plank, yet for all practical purposes It misjht have been made in the name of the owner, as he was the person who would suffer or enin by the refusal or granting of the applica tlon. He would ask the committee to Irok at lh<» application in the light of a new one, Jnflnnuch as when a previous application was made the committee was wholly composed of tho temperance section of the community, ond there had therefore bren no chance of ihe license being granted. It wbs this committee also that hnd taken the license away. The objections of Inspector Thompson were that the hotel was not rrquired, and the accommodation was insufficient. With regard to tha first objection, why wns the license granted in the first instance ? The fact that it was crnnted was a proof that the hotel wbb required. Not the slightest attempt hnd been made to show that the hotel was not needed, and no evidence called in support of the contention cf the police. The local option vote, taken in this district, was to the effect^ that the number of licenses could be increased, and ho held that committees should pay some attention to the voice of the people, and applicants should be entitled to tlm benefit of that vote. The nearest licensed house was the North Otago hotel, and it was 46 chains away. With the exception of the Junction hotel, the other hotels in tr;« town were not separated by a greater distance than three chnins. Bo would caII witnesses to prove that the house was necoißary, and that it was an inconvenience to those residing in the neighborhood that no licensed house existed there. A memorial would also be presented from persons in the neighborhood in favor of the licensfl being granted. There waß a large population near the hotel, 88 well as a railway station. Without this house passengers by the trains ccuH obtain no accommodation near the station. With regard to tho question of accommodation, the f.icfc th°.t v number of hotels in the town were far in excess of the requirements of the place, bo far as acnom modiition wbs concerned, waa no argument ngainstt hid house being suitable. The accommodation was considered sufficient when the license wns grnnted, and if it was then feo it wbb now. If the committee decided that further accommodation was necesenrv, the owner would see thnt thin was attended to. The evidence of Alex. Paterson, Arthur Toms, John Stevens, William Bell, Davi J Ferris, and Edward M'Kenzie vras taken in support of the application. The evidence of the applicnnt was also taken to prove the genuineness of the signatures attached to the memorial presented. Inspector Thompson said it was for the committee to pay whether the house was required or not, but he did not think the house was one that a license should be granted to. When the license was first granted to the house in 1881, he drew attention to the unauitableness of the lioute, and to the want of accommodation. It did not follow that because the house wan reauired in 1881 it was required now. Mr Newton said he would like to draw the committee's attention to the fact that the only objection against the house was that of Inspector Thompson, who had not brought a single witness to thnw that the house wbb not required. They had only Mr Thompson's expression of opinion against the expressed wish of a large etction of the residents, and the latter were the persons who would suffer or gain by the lin'cenae being granted. He asked the committee to take into consideration the injury that would be done the proprietor if the license were refused, and the fact that the residents desired it. After consideration the license was granted. The chairman intimated to the applicant that one of the principal objections Bgaiost tho late licensee was that he had sold drink during unlicensed hourf, and he desired to caution him to keep within the law in this respect, or bis license might bo cancelled. The following transfers were granted : From Mr Donaldson to Win. Milsom, Globe hotel ; and from A. C. Patterson to B, Perry, Empire hotel. The following renewals were granted : Fanny Grant, AUianco hotel ; J. M. JohDßton, Commercial hotel ; J. Markbam, Queen's hotel ; and S. Newey, Imperial hotel. With reference to the three \nt tntmid the committee cautioned, the

nrpMoßn's to be more careful in future how they conducted their licensed houses Bottle licpnses were granted to W. D Esther. J. Familtoo, Ellen Haggle, and A. J. S. Headland, and wbolsale licences were granted to R Davidßon »nd J. W. Humphrey. SfcVERN DCSTKICX. The applications of Outran, Shamrock hotel ;■ Michpe Hnnley, White Hart hotel ; and Thomas Procter, Junction hotel, for lioenses for their respective houses were granted. The first named was instructed to look the door of bis hand ball court on Sundays in order to prevent playing taking place. The reuewal of the license for the North Olago hotel was granted to P. Dooley, and the renewal of a wholesale license was granted to F. J. Chaßo. JETTY DISTRICT. The following licenses were renewed : P. Alexander, Critfrion hotel; J. M. Brown, Star and Garter hotel ; Alex Johnston, Royal hotel ; Lowia Morton, Northern hotel ; Lewis Morton, railway refreshment rooms. The bottle licenses of A. Bee. A. Clarke, and Warre, Hookley, and O >. were renewed.