LICENSING COMMITTEES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9321, 16 June 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

LICENSING COMMITTEES.

ANNUAL MEETINGS, The annual meeting of the City Licensing Committee was held in the Magistrate’s Couit on Friday. There were present Messrs C. B. W. Willeaton (chairman), F, IT. Fraser, A. W. Brown, J. H. Heaton, and J. B. Hayes. The qlojk (Mr James) was also present. Inspector Thomson and Ser-geant-Major Ramsay represented the police. Mr Martin, city solicitor, was also in attendance as legal adviser to the Bench. Before proceeding to business the Chair* man read the following statement: —This being the anuu 1 licensing meeting 1 propose on behalf of the Licensing Committee to make a few remarks before proceeding to grant applications for licenses. Lioeimugcommitteea are now elected for three years, and this being the first meeting of the newly elected Committee they wish it to be clearly understood that they are determined, and will insist upon their decisions being carried out. Mr Inspector Thomson, the Committee have gone through the annual report furnished by the Inspector of licensed houses, and they find that the 55 hotels ia the city are reported as being in good condition, well furnished, well conducted, and objections nil. The Committee would have liked tbe Inspector to have reported more fully in respect to the various hotels. The Committee are of opinion that the hotels should be classified, and they would suggest that the Inspector iu bis next report should point out what ho considers are first and second-class bouses. The Committee are of opinion that the In* specter should be more careful in furnishing his report. For instance, Mr Frank Moeller appears as the licensee of the Occidental Motel. This license has been iu the name of Mrs Moeller for the past eleven months. Mrs Smith appears as the licensee of the Star Hotel ; this license ia in tho name of Mr Robert Seymour. Mr Sydney George Parkes appears as tbe licensee of the Oriental Hotel ; this hotel’s license was transferred to Mr Arthur Fisk twelve months ago, and since then it has again changed hand*. Mr Robert Seymour ap* pears to have transferred the license of tbe Commercial Hotel to Mr O’FJahorfcy. The transfer was from Mr , Tyrrell, and not from Mr Seymour. The Array and Nary Hotel appears to have been transferred, from;. Mr Flynn to Mr Seymour ; no such transfer has taken place. The Committee find the name of Mrs Rose Anne Beatty given as the licensee of the Metropolitan Hotel ; the Committee learn that there is no suoh person, Mrs Beatty having married a Mr Stevenson some twelve months ago. The Committee would like to know why this license has not been transferred to Mr Stevenson, under socfciou 103 of the Licensing Act, IBSI. Tho Committee notice that only one hotelkeeper has been fined during the year for Sunday trading. The Committee are quite satisfied that the majority of hotels in the city do a very large business on Sundays, and they arc of opinion that until some different system is adopted, Sunday trading will continue. The Committee have heard that some hotel* keepers learn on Saturday who the sergeant and constable will be who will visit ,on the Sunday, and preparation is made accordingly. The Committee arc aware that many publicans would prefer closing on Sunday if it were universal, but when they find their neighbours selling they say that they are compelled to do likewise to present their customers leaving them during tho week. Members of the Committee have noticed, and their attention has been called to several hotels where young children are sent by their parents for liquor. The Committee would suggest that it would be well if publicans were more careful, and refused to serve children. The Committee cannot help noticing that there is a great amount cf traffic going on in hotel business. They find that during the year no leas than one half of, the hotels in tho city have changed bands, and ia several oases they have changed bauds a second time. Tbe Committee attribute this to the faot that the majority of the hotels are in the hands of the brewers ond merchants. The Com* mitteo have reason to believe that there ia a good deal of dummylsm going on, and they intend in future to make full enquiries before prattling liooosns. The Committee are of opinion that single women should not hold licenses, and for tho future the Com* mitteo will refuso to grant licenses to single women. This will not apply to tho present holders of licenses. The Committee take this opportunity of notifying that in future any person applying for a conditional license to sell at any place of public amusement will require to pay for each day or part of a day, three guineas for each license. Hotels will require to keep a light burning from sunset until the hour of closing in each case. We will now proceed to consider and deal with applications for licensee. Inspector Thomson did not consider that it was his duty to olas-.ify the various hotels, but rablier that it was a duty incumbent upon tho Committee. If tbe Committee insisted of course he would endeavour to do ic, but ho did cot consider it hia duty. With regard to the Sunday trading, without attempting to say that there was none, he could say advisedly and with full knowledge of what took place in other towns, that if Sunday trading was carried on it was done with as much decorum and in ae orderly a manner as any place he knew of. The Bench must bo aware that a number of tricks were . resorted to defeat the police in detecting such 'offences. With regard to tbe statement that publicans gained knowledge on the Saturday of- the men who were to be on duty on the Sunday, he must beg leave to object to it. He did not think such a thing had ever taken place. The system would be much better if tbe police were backed up by tbe Bench when oases of Sunday trading were brought before the Court. They did not receive the moral sup* port of tho-Beach- in these cases. If there was an excuse, no matter how childish, iu nine oases out of ten the Bauch would give the offender the benefit of the doubt. The police had the greatest difficulty iu establishing these cases. He had always been opposed to single women holding licences. The Chairman agreed that the police did not get the moral support of the Bonoh. Inspector Thomson : Quito the revorre.

Licenses were granted as follows, with an extension to II o’clock : —Michael flodgine, Princess Hotel; Rose Ana Stevenson, Metropolitan (Mr Devine for the applicant) ; Jane Onnsbee, Queen’s (Mr Beere for appli* cant); Elizabeth Moeller, Occidental; Benjamin ET. Price, Central; Annie Smith, Star; Edward Wilson, Post Office (Mr Levi for the applicant} ; Morgan O’Flaherty, Oommercul; Samuel Paikes, Oriental (Mr Tanner for the applicant) ; Jeremiah Jones, Nag’s Head ; Elizabeth B. Payne, Masonic; E. J. Searie, Panama ; Mary Butler, Albion (Mr Poynfeon foraplioant); W. H. Back,Now* town; Patrick Casey, Wellington (Mr Tanner for the applicant) ; Charles H. Gillespie, Shepherds’ Arms, Daniel Dealy, Railway, Chas J. McCarthy, Royal, W, G. Johnston, Waverley, H. Sullivan, National, James Condon, Club, John M. Orr, City Buffet, James Catfcell, Hyland’s, John Bertie, Pier, (Mr Gully for the applicant); Walter P. Jenkins, Barrett’s, Rats Isaacs, Duke of Edinburgh (Mr Levi for applicant) ; Eliza* beth P. Crawford, Albert, an extension was granted to 12 o’clock (Mr Gray for the ap* plioant); J. R. Hamilton, New Zealander, G. Evans, Brunswick, Samuel Gilmer, Royal Oak. On the application of Mr Beere an extension to 12 o’clock was granted. The license for the Empire Hotel was granted on condition that the bar in Vic* toria street was closed. " Mr Skerrett, who appeared for the applicant, contended that

tho Bench had no power to affix any conditions,. He argued that the bar in Victoria street was the only public bar under the definition given iu the statute, and he pointed out that if the Committee struck out the bar in Victoria street they would he gianting a license for an hotel without any bar at all. The Chairman said the Bench saw no reason to alter their previous decision. Mr Skerrett said ho wouM not feel bound by tho decision. Mr Skerrett undertook to deposit a sum to cover costs if the Committee would agree to allow the question, whether or not there was a second bar, to be argued in the Supreme Court. The Committee still declined to alter their decision. An extension to 12 o’clock was granted. Only 20 o’clock licenses were granted in tho following cases : James Crawford, Imperial ; Thomas Charles Rayner, White Swan (Mr Tanner for applicant) ; Alexander Black, Victoria ; John Card, Star and Garter* Mr Tanner, who appeared for the applicant, wished to make a few remarks. The Chairman : No thanks ; it is not necessary. Mr Tanner informed the Bench that the only telephone in the neighbourhood was at tho Star and Garter, and if the hotel was not kept open the people oould uot use it. The Chairman : Very sorry.—Alexander Smith, Cricketers’ Arms; Annie Lewis, Cambridge (Mr Skerrett for applicant! ; Jeremiah Nash, Tramway (Mr Devine for applicant); G, W. Chandler, Provincial. Mr Skerrett urged that an extension to II o’clock should be granted on the ground that members o! the House of Representatives lodged there. The Bench, however, de* dined to grant an extension. C. M. Harding, Te Aro ; Agnes A, Barker, Bank. Mr Tanner appeared for the applicant and urged that an extension to 11 o’clock should be granted. • The Committee, how* ever declined to grant an extension. W. Tucker, Royal Tiger ; Walter C. Wilson Grosvenor ; B. Oxner, Princess Theatre (Mr Skerrett for the applicant). A, Greenwood, Prince of Wales ; William Cloggie, Caledonian; Denis Quill, City ; W. H. Cleland, Foresters’ Arms. The Committee granted the license on the condition that a new building was erected within the ensuing twelve months.

In the following cases the Committee postponed consideration of the applications until the afternoonßichard Charles Bowden, Branch ; Frances Townsend, Brit* annia; Kobt. Seymour, Army and Navy Hotel; George Sutcliffe, Clyde Quay ; Mark Blythe, Jubilee; John Reynolds, Thistle Inn ; Kate Herbert, Shamrock. When the applications were made 10 o’clock licenses only were granted, the Chairman making tho following statement with regard to each care The Committee entertain very great doubts as to whether there is any necessity for this hotel in its neighbourhood, but being unwilling to inflict upon the persons interested in tho house the hardship of a sudden withdrawal of the license, the Committee have decided to grant (he license for the ensuing year. An application by Mr Levi, on behalf of Mrs Isaacs, for an extension to 12 o’clock for the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, was refused. A number of transfers were granted, and the Committee adjourned.