BILLIARD SALOON HOURS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6491, 10 April 1908, Page 7

BILLIARD SALOON HOURS

PROPRIETORS WANT EXTENSION. DEPUTATIONS TOR AND AGAIN. The dozen licensed billiard saloons in Wellington are required to close at 10 p.m., hut their proprietors asked the City Council last night to extend the time until 11 o’clock. Their request was followed by an appeal from a large deputation’representing the Council of the Churches, not to grant the concession.

ARGUMENTS EOE EXTENSION. Mr A. H. Caeey was-the spokesman for the billiard saloon proprietors. In the other centres the saloons, he sard, closed at 11 o’clock, despite the fact th'at the hotels closed at 10 o’clock. of the Police Ofiencoa Act, 1903, mentioned 11 o’clock as the hour of closing, though Ideal authorities were empowered to Close them earlier. In Auckland and_ Christchurch the license fee was XI ; in, Dunedin it was £2 2e j and in Wellington the fee was: .£5. A MUnners street sa- - loori paid <£lo per week in rent,, while another in Lamhtlon Quay, With five tables, bad a rent charge of JGB Weekly! He quoted the Christchurch hud Auckland rente to show how much less was p'j.id in those cities. He believed more business would be done in the last 'hour than during any other part of the even--IDfn reply to Conncillor Shirtolifie “Mr Casey said the extension was desired by his clients’ patrons. AN OPPOSITE VIEW.

The opposite view was immediately urged by a larger deputation from the Council of the Churches, introduced by the Iter. A. Dewduey. , , . ~ The Eev. J. J. North declared that,the City Council's special by-laws in regard to billiard saloons, designed to prevent their use for gambling purposes, were tom up and disregarded By many of the proprietors, bookmakers, who by a very Blight feint, managed to (firry on their f 'ambling business and to run" their saoons as well. The deputation was far from satisfied with the police supervision of billiard saloons. In the best interests of the game, tmd for the sake of the purity of the saloons, they should be protected from the influx of popple who were turned out of the hotels at 10 0 Mr John Hutcheson ‘asked what whs to prevent the man who was determined to r, have a nieht out” from leaving the hotel at 10 o’clock with his pockrts fu'l of bottled beer, and going straight to the billrtrd saloon to consume it? Mr Casey, questioned by the Mayor, said it was true that a particular firm mentioned by Mr North owned one of the saloons, but the manager had been give* strict instructions to conduct it properly. He represented all the proP The r ßev. J. J, North: No ! Councillor Shirtc.ifle: Are they urtmimone? . . , , Mr Cneey: I have not ascertained from each of them. I am instructed by the association, of which eleven are members. and the other proprietor has also instructed mo. The Eev. J. J. North: Our instructions are ettmtlv opposite. One of the. Salop* keep-re assures me he us opposed to it. The Mayor: We will ascertain all that. The deputations were , assured that their representations would bo carefully considered.