LICENSING COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5947, 8 December 1880, Page 6

LICENSING COURT.

The quarterly meeting of the Licensing Court was held at noon yesterday, at the Police Court. Mr. R. C. Barstow, R.M., presided, and the Commissioners present were Messrs. G. M. Mitford, J. Cosgrave, and F. L. Prime. Mr. Superintendent Thomson appeared on behalf of the police authorities.

Suffolk Hotel.—Jolm Neville applied for a license for the Suffolk Hotel, Collegeroad. The license for this house had been twice refused, not because of any objection to the license, but because of an informality, there not being a sufficient number of signatures to the application. Mr. E. Hesketh appeared for the applicant. A license had been granted to this house many years ago. Subsequently the license was granted to the Ponsonby Club Hotel, although it was opposed as unnecessary. The last occasion the license was refused because one of the signatures was informal. As to the petition, he asked the Bench to take notice of it, liecause notice had not been given of it as required. Mr. Runciman had lodged a request that the license should not be granted, and Mr. J. Graham appeared on behalf of certain objectors. He contended that the license having been granted to the Ponsonby Club Hotel on the ground that a second house was necessary, then certainly that necessity had not decreased. There was no personal objection to the applicant. He had experience in the best houses in the city. The landlord had now sufficient punishment, which would prevent his putting other than respectable and responsible persons into his house. He then argued on the ground of the necessity for the house, supported by a memorial signed by 237 persons living in the immediate vicinity. The house was the oldest in the district, was in every way suitable, and had been thoroughly renovated.—The Chairman said when he tirst presided on the Bench he found a promise from the former Bench hanging over their heads that a license would be granted to the Ponsonby Club Hotel, and they felt themselves bound to grant it.—Mr. Graham said the memorial could not be informal. He lodged it in due time with his own. It was signed by 200, including five ministers of the Gospel, who have petitioned the Bench not to license another house in their district. It was signed by 50 women. He contended they had no opportunity to examine the names attached to Mr. Hesketh's memorial, whereas their petition was open to scrutiny. The working men of the neighbourhood, who during the last six months had enjoyed quiet, objected to having the nuisance of a public-house inflicted on them. He contended there was no hardship in refusing the license. There was a hotel within 200 yards, and there was no complaint during the last six months of want of convenience. He urged, in a somewhat impassioned address, the Bench should not increase the number of houses, contending that alcohol was not necessary at all. He had done without it for 30 years, and could go about his business yet. He quoted an extract from a temperance journal, "Rob a Poor Man of his Beer."—The Bench said it was impossible to receive the document as a memorial, as it had not been lodged seven clear days. Again, it was not signed by the person receiving the signatures, and those were fatal objections to its reception.—Mr. Hcsketli objected to Mr. Graham's preaching want of sincerity or Imnn-fides on his part. Where were his five ministers? Why was he left alone to support this petition and the objection ? Why was this society which had signed the petition not represented '! Before Mr. Graham preached at him in that way he should have looked at home. He merely asked that the Bench might not grant the license, because he did not wish it. He stood alone in his objection, and asked the Bench to disregard the rights of property and any right a house might have to a license merely because he did not wish that a license should be granted, and appealed to the Bench upon grounds which would be applicable to every house in Auckland. (Mr. Graham : Hear, hear).—The Chairman said that great loss had been inflicted on the owner or applicant, and it would act as a caution to owners of houses to insist on having proper tenants. He had given the house to a man who, from his antecedents and conduct, was not a fit person to conduct a hotel. He had failed, and the owner had suffered severely, and been punished. With regard to a remark made by the objector, that the increase in the number of licensed houses increased drunkenness, experience in England led to the conclusion that where there were too few houses drunkenness was increased by bringing people together in crowds, when they went for refreshment. It was tried in Liverpool where SO new licenses were granted, and the result was to decrease drinking by preventing people congregating together." The Bench hail decided to grant the application. Traxsfkks.—The following transfers were granted :—William G. Morgan, Park Hotel, Wcllesley-strcet, to Rudolph Prohl; Benjamin M. Murray, Foresters' Arms Hotel, Albert-street, to Simon Coombe ; Samuel Vivian, Swan Hotel, Mechanics' Bay, to John Joseph Payne ; William C. Walker, Thistle Hot-el, Queen-street, to Michael Gallajher; Michael Gallagher, Cosmopolitan Hotel, Queen-street, to Samuel Vivian ; William Sparge, Custom-house Hotel, Fort-street, to George Robson ; Margaret Clarke, Shakespeare Hotel, Wyndliam - street, to Thomas Foley ; Isaac Harrison, Waverley Hotel, Queenstreet, to Arthur Ross Wilson ; John Holmes, Queen's Hotel, Karanga'aape Road, to John B. Killian; David Clements, Crown Hotel, Grey-street, to Cornelius McManus; John Grey, Masonic Hotel, Frinces-street, 10 George Isles Pauter ; John B. Ellis, Exchange Hotel, Queen-street, to Andrew Murray ; James Dempsey, Black Bull Hotel, Albert-street, to David Clements; George Kitchen, Albert Hotel, Queen-street, to William C. Walker.

Glee.so.xs Hotel.—After the conclusion of the regular business, Mr. .Superintendent Thomson, addressing the Bench, said : Before your Worships leave the Bench I think it my duty to bring under your notice the conduct carried on in'a certain house to which a license has recently been granted. If it is continued I shall certainly oppose the renewal ef a license to that house. GJeeson's Hotel, to which I refer, has a racket court, or ball-alley, attached, and on Sunday three weeks, when I was passing along the street, I heard voices and clapping, apparently proceeding from the hotel. I walked through the hotel to the ballalley, where I saw about forty men sitting around, and four men, including the proprietor, stripped to their shirts and ilra.wers, playing. On returning through the: hotel I saw the bar window open, and some glasses, which had apparently been used, standing on the ledge. On the following Sunday the police again visited the place, and, on this occasion, saw nearly fifty men in the place, and play going on, and on last Sunday, when they again visited the place, there was about the same number. The licensee had been spoken to on the subject, but he did not see it in the same that I did. He made the excuse that he had let the ball alley ; but it is part of the hotel premises, and he is responsible for it. I am not straightlaced, and do not consider myself better than my neighbours, but 1 think the observance of the Sabbath should be enforced, to prevent us from drifting into the same scenes as those of San Fran-

Cisco and the Continental towns, where theatres are open, horse-racing, and other games carried on. Besides, it is not fair to other publicans that he should be allowed to collect crowds of people to his place on Sundays. I think a word of warning from the Bench might bring the proprietor to his senses, but if not, I shall strenuously oppose the renewal of the license to this hotel The Chairman said : At present the Bench are powerless to deal with the matter, but when application is made for the renewal of the license, they will consider whether they will grant it, and the probability is that they will not if this game is continued. —Mr. Thomson: I think Mr. Gleeson ought to content himself with six days of the week. The Court then rose.