CONTROL OF HOTELS

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

CONTROL OF HOTELS

NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS AUCKLAND LICENSEES WARNED (Special to Daily limes) AUCKLAND, June 1. Reference to the number of old wooden hotel buildings in the city was made by Mr W, R. McKean,S.WL chairman of the Auckland Licensing Committee, when applications for the renewal of licences were being considered at the annual meeting of the committee. Two years ago, the committee drew attention to these buildings ” said Mr McKean, some of which are not considered sufficient for modern requirements If the owners are not going to do anything voluntarily the committee will have to consider withholding the publicans licences The applications will granted this year, but it is to be hoped that the owners will pay some attention to what we have in™”™' h Strong disapproval of the holding of raffles in hotel bars was a 1 s .o expressed by Mr McKean, who refeucd to a recent case in which a harman was convicted following a raffle conducted in a hotel bar with bottles of beer as prizes. Licensees he , saia > often appeared to be surprisingly ignorant of what took place on their premises. In future, the committee would expect licensees to forbid any raffles from taking place ‘From the police report it appears that some effort has been made to stop betting in hotel bars, Mr McKean continued, ‘but it looks as if these raffles are taking the place of betting. It is absurd to ask us to believe that the licensees do not know wnai is going on in their hotels. Considering the number ot hotels m Auckland, the number of persons found on licensed premises after hours was small, stated the police report. It was evident that licensees weie making an effort to carry out the law. “All hotels have been well conducted, continued the report “Previous reports have referred to persons prosecuted for carrying on the calling ot bookmaking in the bars of licensed premises, but during the last quarter only one offence of this nature has been dealt with, and it is evident that licensees have taken notice of the warning issued by the Licensing Committee.”