LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9150, 4 September 1888, Page 5

LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETING.

AUCKLAND NORTH. The Licensing Committee of the Auckland North district held their quarterly sittings yesterday in the Police Court Buildings, when there were present :—Messrs. J. P. King (chairman), R. W. Moody, J. J. Holland, and J. Winks. Serjeant-Major Pratt represented the police, whilst Mr. F. Baume appeared on behalf of the Auckland Licensed Victuallers' Association. Transfers.—-Transfers of licenses were granted as follow, the police offering no objection :—Shamrock Hotel, from Alfred Boulter to William Henry Cranswick ; Shakespeare, from William Butler to Patrick Regan; Bricklayers' Arms, from Thomas Foley to Archibald Hall; City, from James Lang to James O'Brien; Albert, Moses Montague to James Arthur Stichbury. The Extinguishing of the Lights.— Mr. Baume applied for permission that the lights over the doors of the hotels be extinguished at ten o'clock. He wished to obtain an expression of opinion from the Bench upon this subject, but he understood that the police objected to the request. Undoubtedly the care of the lights of the city should be in the hands of the Corporation, and not in those of the hotelkeepers. The City Council had concluded a work of retrenchment; the salaries of their officers had been reduced, and perhaps they would therefore have more money to spend in the lighting of the city, the present condition of which in this respect, was a disgrace to one of the leading cities of the colony. Sergeant-Major Pratt said the police would oppose the application. Mr. King asked whether the police would object to the lights being extinguished at twelve o'clock, the same hour as the city lights? Sergeant-Major Pratt replied that they would, for in that case the streets would be in entire darkness. Mr. Baume thought that a very strong expression of opinion might go forth from the committee that it was not right that publicans should have to maintain street lights for the benefit of the Corporation. Mr. King did not think it was for the benefit of the Corporation. It would be possible that a lot of drinking would be done after hours, and people let in and out of the hotels, if there were no lights over the doors by which the hotels could be seen by the police. A light over the door was a sign that the hotel was respectable. After a consultation, Mr. King said that the decision of the Bench was that they could not grant the application : tho lights must be kept burning as usual.