THE CONDUCT OF HOTELS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20433, 13 June 1928, Page 12

THE CONDUCT OF HOTELS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Your article respecting the conduct of hotels in this morning’s issue is timely. What surprises even supporters of licensing is the stupidity of hotelkeepers in purveying their wares. I venture to say that almost any Friday or Saturday evening there may be found congregations of youths and middle-aged men in doorways in Dowling street. Bond street, and Crawford street, consuming liquor out of bottles, swearing loudly, and generally behaving in an unseemly manner. The shelter of doorways in these areas is seemingly sufficient protection against police supervision. From the doorways, too, imbibers frequently commit disgusting practices. 1 put it to hotelkeepers. Is this liquor supplied before or after 6 o’clock? I have seen drinking parties well on to 10 o’clock at night in Crawford, Bond, and Bonding streets. I have even noticed them a stone’s throw from the Post Office and the Telegraph Office. Surely the police could remove drinking gangs from doorways of side and main streets? Surely hotelkeepers ought to know that supplying beer swillcrs with liquor to consume after hours is not a good advertisement for the trade. Hotelkeepers ought to take a walk along Dowling street and side streets mentioned, any evening after 0, or any Sunday .afternoon (a few of their drinking friends may be seen in Bond and Crawford streets and environs), to see what a good advertisement the trade is getting. 1 often think the police spend a lot of time looking for after-hour trade instead of rounding up semi-drunken parties of youths and others who congregate in doorways and right-of-ways. 1 often think, too, that a drunken party in a right-of-way, is either a prelude to burglary or a skilful excuse for being unlawfully on someone else’s property.—l am, etc., • Clean Side Streets.