A LICENSING CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13768, 5 June 1908, Page 7

A LICENSING CASE.

STRANGE -ALLEGATIONS,

SOME AMUSING STATEMENTS.

Tub annua! meeting of the Eden Licensing Committee was held at Epsom Hail yesterday, there being present Messrs. R. W. Dyer ■• (chairman!, J. Bollard, M.P., M. McLean, G. Knight, Abel, and J. R. Walters.

' The police report in regard to the conduct of the Epsom Hotel, of which Michael Ryan is licensee, contained several serious allegations. During the last three months, it was stated, a number of men had come out of the hotel half and three parts drunk, on closing time, and several assaults had taken place in the hotel and billiard-room. " such as knocking a pumpkin out- of a man's arm and smashing .it, and knocking off a man's hat and kicking i.V The constable responsible for the document added that he had been unable to get particulars, and he had not arrested the men who were drunk, "because it he arrested one, he would have had to take him to Auckland lockup, and while he was away the others would play up and make as much row as they liked. ' There were a great v number of young men between 21 and 25 year* of age, who went to the hotel and drank, and hung about the premises until closing time. Motormen and conductors, when off duty, ■spent most of their time there. There were further allegations as to ' bottles of beer being handed by the son of the licensee to a motorman on his car. and as to supplying inmates of the Coat-ley Home with liquor. Mr. T. Cotter appeared for the licensee, Mr. F. Earl for the Tramway Union (a number of members of the union being present, including Mr. A. Ilosser, the secretary), and Sub-Inspector Gordon for the police. Constable Keep was cross-examined by Mr. Cotter at some length. He said that prior to Mr. Ryan taking possession some nine months ago he had had no cause to complain regarding the conduct of the house.' In March last- he had noticed something wrong, but did not comment on it in his report. Mr. Cotter: Has anything occurred since your .last' report; Witness: Yes, the pumpkin. Do you charge the, licensee or anybody in his service with doing anything improper in regard to this pumpkin?— No. Then because, someone else has some football , with the pumpkin, it is brought up against the licensee?— Yes. , Mr. Earl: I am informed that it was a watermelon. Mr. Cotter: Well, it's squashed anyway. (Laughter.) Witness went on to support his allegations regarding tramway employees, and stated that he had known an employee to be given liquor when half drunk. Mr. Cotter: Did you see him supplied? Witness: No.

Mr. Cotter: Well, that wipes that out.

Witness said, he had not seen the men sufficiently drunk to warrant their arrest. He had asked other men to take them home. He had not prosecuted the licensee because lie always liked to "give * man a. eliance." The conduct of the house since had been better. He was not aware that tram employees used the billiardroom as a elubroom. As to the inmates of the Costley Home, he bad .had to take them home repeatedly. He could not say whether or not they bad liquor before reaching Epsom. By Mr. Earl: The ;conduct of the tram men generally was gcjod, and he bad never complained to the company. His .complaints only related to four of them. Two bottles of beer were passed to a motor man one night about 10 o'clock. Are you positive that ihose bottles contained beer?— were beer bottles..

Is thero any reason why they should not have contained tea? Don't you know that it is customary' for the men to receive bottles of tea. at certain points at certain times? —No, ] did not know.

At this stage the committee intimated that they .had heard enough. The chairman said they were satisfied, that there was nothing, in the evidence to warrant. them in censuring or dealing adversely with the licensee. They thanked the constable for his report, for he was quite right in reporting anything of an unusual character. Licensee* could not/ be too careful in the management of their affairs, especially where tram officials were concerned. The license would he renewed.

Mr. Cotter said he had evidence ready to refute the allegations. One of hit witnesses was the manager of the Costley Home. x - ,

Mr. Earl said that as to the supply of beer to a motorman, he had undoubted evidence to show that this was merely tea, as he had indicated.

The police raised no objections regarding the applications for renewals by James Ormoud (Avdndale Hotel) and Joseph Cotterall (Junction Hotel). Both applications were granted.