THE CITY HOTELS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15549, 5 March 1914, Page 8

THE CITY HOTELS.

QUESTION OF FIRE ESCAPES.

A meeting of the Auckland City Licensing Committee was held yesterday, when there were present: Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. (chairman), Messrs. L. J. Bagnall, J. J. Holland, W. C. Somers, and Dr. F. W. King. Sub-Inspector Johnson represented the police.

The following applications for transfer of license were granted : —Thistle Hotel, M. O'Connor to J. Sullivan ; Albert Hotel, J. Morrison to T. W. Buxton ; Rising Sun Hotel, A. W. Whitehead to F. C. Bass; King's Arms Hotel, H. P. Smith to A. M. Robertson ; Queen's Ferry, Win. Woodward to A. Beggs. A wholesale license was granted to G. Crosbie, and the surrender of a similar license held by A. H. Nathan, Ltd., was accepted. The police report in regard to the hotels in Auckland, said Mr. Cutten, made complaint against several licensees. In some cases the premises were found in an unclean condition, and in others the fire escapes were not in order. He hoped that these matters would be rectified before the annual meeting of the committee, which is to be held on June 20. Concerning the fire-escapes on some hotels the police report stated that some bedrooms which were not adjacent to the outside walls were too remote in case of fire. This was due to a structural defect in the building, but when such was used for hotel purposes the licensees were held responsible for the provision of proper means of escape. .