HOTEL BOOKINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25210, 24 May 1945, Page 6

HOTEL BOOKINGS

MANY NATAL RATINGS SUBTERFUGE ALLEGED "We have three hotels in Auckland which cater extensively for naval ratings, and while the practice adopted is not an offence under the licensing laws, it does not seem to be right," said James Sweeney, superintendent of police in Auckland, when giving evidence at yesterday's sitting of the Royal Commission on licensing. The three hotels, he said, were the Victoria, Gleeson's and the Albion.

Police visits were made to the Victoria on several dates in March and April last, and on the first on March 22 at 9.5 p.m. it was found that 194 bookings for the night had been made, said the witness. It was also found that 256 bottles of beer had been sold that night. At 4 a.m. three ratings were seen asleep on chairs in the commercial room, and in the passage way four were sleeping on the floor. The hotel charged Is 6d for stopping the night, and it had 16 rooms tor accommodation. Position on Other Visits On March 23 and 24. the bookings were found to be 214 and 171 respectively. On one occasion seven ratings were found asleep on the floor. A_ visit on March 27 disclosed that at 11.15 p.m. 109 bookings had been made, and at 6.10 next morning only 29 of the lodgers remained, un April 10, the bookings at 11.30 p.m. were 187, and only 27 were on the premises at 4 a.m. bix davs later the bookings were 192. Gleeson's Hotel had ten rooms for accommodation, and on March 25 there were 150 bookings, witness continued. On March 30, the bookings were 142, there being beds for 42 of them. The lounge was made up to accommodate 36 persons, but none of the shakedowns was occupied. The third hotel, the Albion, charged Is a night for guests using a shakedown. It had 19 rooms, and it was ascertained that the average nightly bookings over the year were 70. The average nightly bookings for the whole year at the Victoria were 100. Witness' Opinion of Practice „

Superintendent Sweeney said that in other hotels in the city the police had found that no accommodation had been taken up. He thought the bookings at the three hotels in question were only subterfuges to facilitate the sale of liquor. Cross-examined by Mr F. C. Spratt, counsel for the New Zealand Alliance, witness said he did not know whether the Army had made the Victoria out of bounds. The police had not laid any charges concerning the conditions complained of, as they could not prove that the ratings were not bona fide lodgers. Figures showing t' lo average bookings over 12 months had been procured from the licensees, who consulted their lodging books. Hotels which had provided no accommodation during the past year were the Occidental (four bedrooms), the Oxford (eight bedrooms), the Ponsonby Club (six bedrooms), the Robbie Burns (eight bedrooms), and the Rob Roy (six bedrooms). Witness considered that premises such as these would "give the same service if they were replaced by unadorned beer houses in the nature of lock-up shops. Questions by Mr O'Leary Questioned by Mr H. F. O'Leary, for the New Zealand Licensed Trade, Superintendent Sweeney said he was not aware that the Victoria Hotel was named by the naval authorities as a recall post, where ratings could_ be got in touch with at a moment's notice, nor did he know the same applied to Gleeson's Hotel. He knew nothing of the naval authorities arranging with the licensee of the Victoria to instnl a special telephone beside his bed. He had not heard of police officers taking ratings to the hotel and insisting on the licensee admitting them. Stating that the evidence concerning the three hotels was new to him. Mr O'Leary reserved the right to crossexamine the witness further, if he obtained any more information THE HOSPITAL LEVY OPPOSITION BY FARMERS COUNTY DERATING WANTED Strong opposition to the continued levy of hospital rates in country districts was voiced during a lengthy debate at the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Auckland Province, yesterday. The position of the Mangouui County Council, which had refused to pay the hospital levy, was discussed.

The president of the conference, Mr H. M. Rtishworth, said that for 15 years attempts had been made to obtain total derating, by petition and other constitutional methods, but apart from a favourable report from a select committee the matter had gone no further. As there appeared to be some doubt as to the opiniot* of ratepayers in this matter, it was suggested that delegates from country branches should hold a meeting of ratepayers in order to be sure tliey were solidly behind their councils.

There was strong feeling at the conference that the Dominion executive of the union should do all in its power to help the Mangonui County in its case, but as the county was part of the Auckland Province the majority ol those present considered that it was the place of the Auckland Province branch of the union to do so also. A resolution was carried that the Dominion executive of the Farmers' Union be advised that the Auckland branch would assist the Mangonui County Council financially should any legal expenses be involved in the matter. It w.as further decided that the delegates to the 1945 conference should urgently support the Mangonui County's fight for hospital derating in their own counties. COURT APPOINTMENT I P.A.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday The appointment of Mr A. Reynolds, who is at present registrar of the Supreme Court in Dunedin, as registrar of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, Wellington, was announced today. The vacancy occurred through the retirement of Sir G. S. Clark. Mr Reynolds was formerlv clerk of the Magistrate's Court. Wellington, and registrar of the Supreme Court and clerk of the Magistrate's Court. Hamilton