LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2103, 14 June 1894, Page 18

LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

TAIERI. The annual meeting of the Taieri Licensing Committee, held at the courthouse, Mosgiel, at noon on Thursday, was attended by Mr E. H. Carew (S.M., chairman), Rev. W. Will, Messrs J. H. Murdoch, A. Drakeley, A. Chisholm, T. Ross, J. Feltham, T. D. Shand, and John Allan. VIEWS OF THE BENCH. The Chairman, in opening the meeting, said the committee wished to state that they had nnder their consideration the fact that the vote of the ratepayers was in favour of a reduction of licenses in the district. There were 15 publicans' licenses in the district, and the committee proposed to reduce that number by three. There were six accommodation licenses in the district, and the committee proposed to reduce that number by one. There were some houses which the committee thought were wanted in the district, and it \rould not be necessary to hear those applications. There were some other houses which tley had decided to reserve. These were seven in number, out of which they proposed to ta&e three away. NEW APPLICATIONS FOR OLD HOUSES. Terminus Hotel, Outram.— Joseph Cox, applicant.— The Bench: The committee have decided to graut this license. At the same time I am asked to iring under your notice that they think it necessary to caution you to be careful in the way tie house is conducted. —The applicant : Thank you. Strath-Tajeri Hotel, Strath-Taieri. — Peter Mathias Peters'(Dr Fitchett for the applicant). —Granted. PUBT'CANS' LICENSES RENEWED. The following renewals were granted till 10 p.m. : — '" Saddle Hill.— Coach and Horsee Hotel, John Crane \Mr Solomon for the applicant). W*Jpori.— Waipori Hotel, John Houlehan (Mr Sim for the applicant) ; Bridge Hotel, Samuel Caudwell (Mr Sim for the applicant). Greytown. — Crescent Hotel, William Read. Waihola. — Lake Hotel, Archibald Patterson (Mr Solomon for tho applicant). Middlemarch. — Railway Hotel, Ann Webb. Outram. — Terminus Hotel, Joseph Cox. publicans' applications reserved. Railway Hotel, Moygiel.— William KnoLt, applicant. — The Chairman said that this application was on the "reserved list" eet up by the committee. — Mr Finch said he would take an adjournment. — Adjourned till the 19th inst., at 10.30 a.m. % Commercial Hotel, 'Mosgiel. — Elizabeth O'Kace, applicant. — Mr Finch agreed to take an adjournment in this case also till the 19th inst. Mosgiel Hotel, Mosgiel. — Another of the cases "on the list" The applicant asked for an adjournment till the 19th inst., which was agreed to. Reliance Hotel, Otakia. — John O'Leary, applicant. — Adjourned at Mr W. C. MacGregor's reqoett till the 19th icst. Outram Hotel, Outram. — Thomas Gifford Laurenson, applicant. — Mr Solomon appeared for the applicant, and Dr Fitchett for the owner of the building (Mrs Vannini). — Counsel applied for an adjournment till the 19th inst., which was agreed go. Mr Fraser asked whether, in the event of his going on with the application for the West Taieri Hotel at the present sitting, the bench would give their decision forthwith, or whether they would adjourn the application after hearg ing him. — The Chairman said the committee coulJ not be expected to Btate when they intended to give a decision. Counsel could either be heard now or take an adjournment till the 19th inst. — Mr Fraser said he preferred being heard presently. White House Hotel, Henley. — Amos JVl'Kegg appeared to personally support his application. He said he did not desire an adjournment, and was content to let the committee decide his application on its merits. He had been in the same place for 25 years. The house had 15 rooms, was well furnished, and there were generally from one to eight boarders in it. Just now he had three boarders. The place was largely used by wayfarers, and on the previous day eight people had stayed there for meals for themselves and to fred their horses. Then it was well known that a great many people went down the lake in his steamer. — The Rev. Mr Will : I know that a great many more go to the White House Hotel than I should like to see go there. — (Laughter.) — The Chairman : Under the new act the fact of an endorsement on your license is against you. Do you wish to say anything in respect to that? — Mr M'Kegg said he bad been fined in the minimum penalty of 255. He had been in the house for 25 years, and this sale of a single glas3 of whisky was the only offeuce charged s gainst him. — The Chairman : We have heard what you have to say, and will give it consideration in dealing with some of the other applications. • You can attend or not, as ycu please, at the adjourned meeting. West Taieri Hotel, Out ram. — Harriet Monk's application for a renewal of a publican's license was supported by Mr Fraser, who said he did not intend to occupy the time of the committee in advancing reasons at length why this application should be granted, and he intended, as far as possible, to confine his remarks to the merits of this particular house. He apprehended that the committee had a close knowledge of the requirements of the travelling public, and he would assume also that they had acquainted themselves with the merits of the various houses. The West Taieri Hotel was one of the oldest houses in the district, it having been in existence as a licensed place for nearly 30 yeais. Mrs Monk, the applicant, was a widow, who depended for her livelihood on the trade the house brought. There was no other hotel within half a mile of it, the place was well conducted, and not a single complaint had ever been lodged against its management." The learned counsel urged as a reason why the license should be granted that it was a resting-place for travellers en route to Hindon, and that there was a paddock close by where horses could be tethered. — The applicant (sworn) stated that she did very little toweship trade? her customers mainly being the travelling public. In answer to the committee, she Ptated that she was tied down under her deed to deal only with Speight and Co. — Mr Fraser said he had not been aware that this was what was known as a "tied" house. He would ask for an adjournment, and would then undertake to prove to the satisfaction of the committee that Speight and Co. absolved the applicant from the condition just mentioned. Speight and Co. were prepared, if objection were taken to their owning " tied " house", to give that assurance.— The Rev. Mr Will : You are prepared to give that assurance on the 19th inst? — Mr Fraser : I am prepared to produce a written pledge from Speight and Co. to that effect. They are indifferent whether their houses are "tied "or not. — Adjourned till the 19th inst. accordingly. LIGHTS TILL TEN O'CLOCK. Mr Sim, on behalf of the two hotelkeepers who had been granted licenses at Waipori, asked to be allowed to dispense with outside lights altogether. The Chairman! My knowledge of the' place.

wtuld lead me to cell the committee that outside lights are very necessary during the lime the houses are open. * It was decided in all cases of publicans' licenses to exempt from keeping outside lights burning from 10 p.m. ACCOMMODATION LICENSES GRANTED. Brighton Hotel, Brighton. — The renewal of the accommodation license held by Irvine White was granted. The Applicant, in answer to the committee, said that at present he paid £10 per year by way of fee, and the bar was practically only used three months in the year — viz , in the summer time. — The fee was increased to £15 per annum. Clarke's Junction Hotel, Clarke's Junction. — It was represented that the opening of the railway to Middlemarch had taken away a deal of the applicant's (Alexander M'Donald) business. — Renewal granted ; fee, £7 10i per annum. Deep Stream Hotel, Deep Stream. — Renewal granted to John Wal&'a (for whom Mr Finch appeared) at £5 per annum. Lee Stream Hotel, Lee Stream.— Renewal of the accommodation license issued to John M'Ewan granted ; fee, £2 10s per annum. ACCOMMODATION LICENSES RESERVED. Commercial Hotel, Berwick. — Applicant, Thomas C. George. — The Chairman : The committee have taken into consideration the propriety of refusing licenses with a view to reducing the number of accommodation licenses in the district. — The applicant said he would take an adjournment till the 19th iost. Hindon Hotel, Hindon. — The application of William Lovell was similarly dealt with.