LICENSING COMMITTEE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23516, 2 June 1938, Page 16

LICENSING COMMITTEE

ANNUAL MEETING CONDUCT OF HOTELS POLICE REPORT GENERALLY FAVOURABLE The City Licensing Committee at its annual meeting yesterday expressed, through its chairman (Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.). satisfaction with the extensive structural- alterations and improvements recently carried out or in the process of completion in local hotels and approved of the generally commendable manner in which most of the licensed houses were conducted. Other members of the committee present were Messrs W. R. Brown, V. S. Jacobs, J, S. Douglas and F. W. Knight. Chairman’s Comments The chairman said that the committee had considered the usual report from the police with respect to the condition of the licensed houses in the city A great deal of structural alteration and improvement had been carried out recently, and a number of requisitions for repairs of a esser character had been recorded and had. no doubt, been already attended to Altogether the hotels were being naintained in a state of good repair. “There are one or two matters of a more serious nature, however, to which the committee would like to direct attention,” said Mr Bartholomew. “ From the police report we find that, while the majority of houses have been well conducted, there have been several breaches of the law in respect of which convictions have been entered. There is one case in which offences have been so persistent that the police have been constrained to lodge a formal objection to'the renewal of the licence. The allegations of misconduct of the house have been supported by convictions for after-hours trading, and the manner in which the law has been enforced in this regard shows that the police are alert and alive to the necessity for licensees properly observing the law ” Three Months' Adjournment The application of James Mitchell for a renewal of a publican’s licence with respect to the Victoria Hotel was met with a formal objection by the police on the grounds that the premises were out of repair, and the committee adjourned the matter until the next quarterly meeting. Mr I. Mitchell, for the applicant, indicated the improvements already effected, and, after stressing the difficulties which had arisen as a result of litigation concerning the ownership of the hotel, said that what was being done at the present time was merely scratching the surface of the problem of reconstruction. When the question of ownership was finally settled, the applicant would effect in full the improvements which the police regarded as necessary. Mr J. Lang, representing the first mortgagee of the property, said that if the applicant became sole owner of the premises there was no doubt that even more than was required by the regulations would be done in the improvement of the hotel. Inspector Roach, on behalf of the police, said that the objection was lodged purely on the ground that the premises were out of repair, and the chairman stated that in the circumstances it was impossible for the committee to waive that objection. The application would be adjourned, and the necessary repairs would have to be carried out or the applicant would have to enter into some satisfactory arrangement to have it done. Licensee Warned The committee warned the licensee of the Shamrock Hotel against the unsatisfactory practice of having a lookout posted to watch for the approach of the police. The chairman said that no formal objection had been lodged to the granting of a renewal, but he would like tp point out to the licensee that such action had been taken with respect to another hotel in the locality, and to suggest that stricter adherence to the law in the future would be advisable. Inspector Roach said that the licensee had been convicted on October 21 last for after-hours trading, but the police had reported that a look-out was employed on numerous occasions, and this man went inside the hotel whenever the police arrived. The only inference to be gathered from such a practice was that the people inside were being warned. Such methods were entirely unsatisfactory, and it was felt that if one licensee used them, others would soon follow suit. In , view of the fact, however, that the licensee had had only one conviction in 12 months, he did not propose to comment any further on the application or to raise any objection to the renewal of the licence. The application was granted. Formal Objection Lodged A formal objection was lodged by the police to the application of Michael Kean for the renewal of his licence with respect to the Metropolitan Hotel. The grounds were misconduct of the hotel during the past 12 months, and Inspector Roach, on behalf of the police, said that he was prepared to substantiate the objection with evidence if that course were deemed necessary. Mr L. R. Simpson, who appeared in support of the application, said that a contract for the sale of the hotel had been drawn up, and would be completed on June 27. In the meantime, a certificate of fitness with regard to the premises had been secured for the purposes of the contract, and Mr A. G. Neill, who represented the purchaser, had assured counsel that his client was In a financial position to fulfil the contract. He therefore asked for an adjournment of the application for three months. Counsel emphasised the fact that the property had been on the market for over 12 months, and the attempts to sell it dated bad; before the lodging of any objection to the renewal of the licence.

The chairman said that the police claimed that the present licensee was not a fit person to run a hotel, and had applied for the cancellation of the present licence. Inspector Roach said that the objection lodged was personal to the applicant. but if he had disposed of the property to a. person who held a certificate of fitness he did not think it would be necessary to proceed with the case that day, although he had come prepared to substantiate the objection with evidence Inspector Roach said he was of i the opinion that an adjournment for three months would be too long a period in the circumstances. On receiving an assurance from Mr Simpson that the sale could be completed within one month, the committee granted an adjournment of the application for one month "ennanent Transfers Permanent transfers were granted as follows:—Broadway, formerly Gladstone Hotel, Patrick Treacy to Alexander Ferguson (Mr G. W. Ferens); Rugby Hotel, John Simpson to Geoffrey Charlton Simmonds (Mr B. . H, Pinfold) issue of Licences Publicans’ licences were also issued as follows: —Bowling Green Hotel, Robert Ainslie Glendining (Mr J. Lang); Broadway Hotel (formerly Gladstone), Alexander Ferguson (Mr G. W Ferens): Empire Hotel. Alfred Mitchell (Mr W F, Forrester): Rugby Hotel. Geoffrey Charlton Simmons' (Mr B. H. Pinfold); Southern Hotel, James Stewart Ainger (Mr J. Lang) Renewals of Licences Applications for the renewal of publicans’ licences were granted as follows: —Normanby Hotel. Essie Lil-

lian Bedford (Mr A. G. Neill); Captain Cook Hotel, William Leslie Buddicom (Mr A. G. Neill); Oriental Hotel, Thomas Clarke Muir (Mr G. vV. Ferens); Royal Albert Hotel, Henry Mathie Allan (Mr D. A. Solomon): Robert Burns Hotel, Michael O Bnen (Mr A. G. Neill); Bransons Hotel, Thomas Francis Mackie (Mr A. U Neill); European Hotel. Francis Richard Loughran (Mr D. A. Solomon); Oban Hotel, John Millar (Mr J. Lang); Law Courts Hotel, Alexander Stewart (Mr J. Lang); Criterion Hotel, Francis John Fay (Mr L. R. Simpson); City Hotel, Louis Francis McCormack (Mr W. L. Moore); Excelsior Hotel, John Trengrove (Mr G. M. Lloyd); Terminus Hotel, Patri , c . k field Flood (Mr L. R. Simpson); Wharf Hotel, William James Bevis (Mr A. G. Neill)£ Crown Hotel, Henry Alfred Edmonds (Mr J. Lang); Carlton Hotel, John Richardson. (Mr B. S. Irwin); Grand Hotel, Arthur Albert Paape (Mr J. Lang); Wain’s Hotel, George Albert Coughlan (Mr N. Allen); Hotel, David Charles Jolly. (Mr J. Lang); Tattersall’s Hotel, Annie Blaney (Mr A. T. Dowling); Gridiron Hotel, Daniel Joseph Finnegan (Mr A. G. Neill): Prince of Wales Hotel, Janet McEwan Hinchcliff (Mr B. S. Irwin); Oval Hotel, Albert Burrell (Mr J. Lang); Kensington Hotel, Henry Patrick Dunne (Mr A. G. Neill) : Caledonian Hotel, Ellen -Plank (Mr B. S. Irwin); South Dunedin Hotel, William Heffernan (Mr A. T. Dowling) ; Shiel Hill Hotel, Arthur Tilbury (Mr J. Lang ’ Wholesale Licences

A wholesale licence was issued to New Zealand Breweries, Ltd. Applications for renewal of wholesale licences were granted as follows;_W. Scoular and Co, Ltd.. Mackerras and Hazlett. L fd., J ames Lindsay. Murray, Robert and Co., Ltd. R. Powley and Co., Ltd., F. Meenan and Co., R. Wilson and Co., Ltd., Dal gety and Co., Ltd., Thomsons, Ltd., Milne. Bremner, Ltd., Neill and CoLtd., Dunedin Wine and Spirit Company, Ltd., Lanes, Ltd., Wholesalers, Ltd.