PROTECTION TO HOTELKEEPERS. (To the Editor of the OTAGO DAILY TIMES.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 250, 8 October 1862, Page 5

PROTECTION TO HOTELKEEPERS. (To the Editor of the OTAGO DAILY TIMES.)

Sir, —I am an hoteikeeper holding a publican's general license, which allows to sell wine, beer and spirits. Before I obtained this privilege I had to show to the satisfaction of the magistrates, that I was a person of good character, ahd also to pay into the Provincial Treasury the sum of £50. This was not all. It was made known to me that my house must contain a certain number of rooms, adequately furnished for public and private accommodation. I was compelled to enlarge my out offices, erect stabling, form a right-of-way, and make, no matter at what outlay, every improvement or extension required by the inspecting officer. At my own private cost I must maintain a lighted lamp outside my house from dusk till daylight; the police have authority to enter my house atany time of the day ornight; and lam under the strictest regulations, which are enforced by heayy penalties. If my lamp goes out daring the night, no matter from whafc cause, lam fined, if my doors are not closed exactly at the hour required by the act I am fined. If a drunken man staggers into my bar ; and creates a disturbance, I am charged with keeping a disorderly house, am fined, and perhaps lose my license. If a cummer gets into my debt for what he drinks I cannot recover. If I want to go into the country for a few days, I must first ask permission, and may be refused. Should I desire 10 dispose of my business, I must obtain tbe consent of the licensing authorities, or I should not be allowed to transfer. In fine, I am so tramelled with police regulations, and so drawn upon for license fees, that if I can possibly manage to obey the former and pay the latter, ihe least that I and my brother hotelkeepers may expect, is to be protected by the local authorities using proper vigilance in preventing others than those holding the requisite license from selling spirits. That we are not so protected I will explain. There are at this time in Dunedin, some fcores of houses holding wine and beer licenses. These are granted to applicants quite irrespective of any accommodation their houses are capable of affording. In fact.the occupier of a shanty, by designating it as a boardingbouse or restaurant, may obtain a wine and beer license without difficulty. Now, it must be within the knowledge of every member of the police force, that these houses, openly and without let or hindrance, do, one and all, sell spirits to the very serious loss and injury ofthe licensed hotels. To name any particular house where, in every hour throughout the day, a breach of the Licensing Act is committed, would be invidious when I know of no exception to the general practice. Is it unreasonable/ Sir, surrounded as we are with such severe instructions, nnd called upon to pay such heavy license fees, that we look to be protected by the local authorities 1 Yet no attempt is made to enforce the law against such offenders, and the consequence is, that most of us are by such evasions and breaches of the act unable to meet the heavy expenses we are necessarily under. By su^h a lax system, not only does the revenue suffer^ and the licensed landlords stand without that protection which they most assuredly have a right tolook for, but encouragement is given to illicit distillation and houses of indifferent character spring into existence where crime is sheltered and improper 1 characters encouraged to assemble. .

There m a clause in the Licensed Victuallers Ordinance which empowers the police to enter any suspected house to search for, and seize any, spirituous liquors found upon it. Why, then fr tins not done ? lam confident that fully one half of all the spirits sold in Dunedin is m houses shanties, and tents, who hold either no be^Rcense^ 0'0111781^16 bottle 0r wine **

-Such a thing^ would not be permitted in Victoria tor a day, and m common justice it ought not to be allowed in Dunedin. I clo not wi*h to see a number of cowardly informers set to work to lay information. Such characters as are generally employed will swear anything for a promised reward, but Jet the authorities employ their own properly constituted subordinates to do such necessary work.

I am, Sir, &c,, A LICENSED VICTUALLER.