HOUSEBOAT RESTAURANT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21264, 19 February 1931, Page 2

HOUSEBOAT RESTAURANT.

“A FLOATING DANCE HALL.” (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, February 17. An application for a license to use the houseboat Britannia as a restaurant, tearoom, and cabaret in the harbour, and for permission to moor the vessel at the Kohimarama wharf, caused some discussion at a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board. The application was made by Mr E. N. Story. He said he intended to use the vessel as a tea-room and cabaret. The boat did not contain sleeping accommodation beyond the requirements of the staff, but the intention was to construct four cabins on the roof for boarders, if the prospects seemed favourable. There was no intention of accommodating casual lodgers and no objection would be raised to deleting the words “ private hotel ” from his application for a license. The recommendation of the board in committee, that a license be granted for commercial purposes and that application to moor the vessel at the Kohimarama wharf be declined, was objected to by Mr J. B. Johnston. “ Before long we may have a dozen or more hulks in the harbour which are nothing more than floating dance halls,” he_ sail. “It will only require one small incident on one of these hulks for there to be a public outcry against the Harbour Board for granting licenses.” An amendment was moved by Mr Johnston, “that permission to moor at, Kohimarama wharf be refused, but that the license be granted subject* to satisfactory _ proof that the vessel is seaworthy and is to be used for commercial purposes within the meaning of the board’s by-laws, but the granting of the application must not be taken as an admission that the purposes for wjiich it was desired to use the boat were commercial purposes or as a consent by the Harbour Board to such uses.” The amendment was carried.