THE TROUBLES OF CITY HOTELKEEPING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 36

THE TROUBLES OF CITY HOTELKEEPING.

At the Licensing Committee meeting on Monday among the applications which cams in for more than the usual attention was the

GLADSTONE HOTEI,.

Margaret L&verty, for whom Mr Sim appsaved, applied for a renewal of her license in respect of the Gladstone Hotel.

The Chairman said that the committee were strongly of opinion that a bell found in the place was there for the purpose of interfering with the police in the execution of their duty. The committee were anxious to support the police in the faithful discharge of their duty, and they therefore considered that it would not be wise to grant Mrs Laverty an 11 o'clock license. They had decided under the circumstances to grant her a 10 o'clock license.

Mr Sim complained that the bench had not heard what Mrs L&verty had to say. The renewal was granted as a matter of course, and there was no occasion for the applicant to be present unless she received notice of objection. In the caße which was heard in bhe Police Court the other day Mrs Laverty had no opportunity of giving evidence.

The Chairman said that it was specially mentioned lasb year that 11 o'clock licenses would be granted subject to certain conditions. • Mr Sim : I understand you grant a 10 o'clock license. If Mrs Laverty desires to give an explanation .will you hear ber ? The Chairman : In that case its' would be necessary to adjourn the whole question.

Mr Sim said Mrs Laverty should be heard that day if she was heard at all.

Mr Jainep, representing the owners of the premises, submitted that they should be heard, as Mrs Laverty had a very short lease.

The Chairman : The police report is a very bad one. If people will no*; look after their own interests at the proper time, I do not see why the bench should ba called on to do so for them.

Mr Sim : This is the proper time, and they ask the opportunity of being heard. Mr Horsburgh : We stated last year if there wa3 suspicion apart from an actual conviction the committee would acfc upon that, and in all probability reduce the license till 10 o'clock. Mr Thornton remarked that, if he remembered rightly, the committee said last year that if they found anyone had been selling after 11 o'clock they would cot hesitate to reduce the hour from 11 till 10 o'clock.

The Chairman said the bench went further, atfcl said that if there was a reasonable suspicion that & house was not being properly conducted the license would be reduced.

At this stage an adjournment of the proceedings until the afternoon was made. On the sitting being resumed,

Margaret Laverty, licensee of the hotel, being called, said bhe effect of reducing the license would rain the business. The best parb of the day was between 10 and 11 o'clock, when the people came iv from the theatre and places of entertainment. Exception was taken by the police to the existence of two buttons inside bhe porcb. One of the buttons rang no bell, &nd the other rang ft bell in the day nursery, next her bedroom, upstairs. Witness was tifgotiating to sell out of the Gladstone Hotel, aud if the hour of closing was reduced to 10 o'clock that would ruin the eale.

To the Bench : The touching of the butbon would nob ring a bell iv more than one room. To Sergeant O'Neill : The bell iv the nursery could nob be heard downstairs. Witness remembered Sergeant O'Neill asking to see the battery, but she did nob know where it was. She could not say what caused the bells to ring all over the house, as wag ntnied by the police

MMaaMOSaMMIKiIMMMIIIiBI !■■■ iiiiiiii-iii.wt«u.»«Mb>«w**;*.LM»iv*-Ma»lMffUGa' to have occurred on the occasion of their recent visit. The bells were Ihsre when witness went to the house. In answer to the Chairman, Sergeant O'Neill said these bells had -not; bien noticed last year.

George Sievwrighb gave evidence as to the negotiations for the sale of bhe house.

John Harrington, ( brother of the licensee, deposed th&b no change had been made in the bells since Mrs Laverby went into the house.

To the Bench : It was quite untrue that on the occasion of a visit from the police on the 14-th May he pressed a knob, which seemingly gave the alarm to a number of people. The statement thab belts were set ringing through the house was untrue. Sergeant Coan, called at the requesb ; df tbe bench, deponed thab when Constable D wan and he visited the hotel o"a,the 14th May Harrington pressed a knob which set bells ringing all over the house. There was a regular peal of bells. When Sergeant O'Neill and witness' visled the hotel on the ; 24-ta' Mmy they pressed bobh knobs inside the side door and neither of them rang. - Mrs Laverfcy took them upstairs to show them the battery but did not do so. The house was never closed. - ' Mr Sim protested againsb genera! - charges being made of which no notice was given. to the licensee.

Con&table Dwan, who accompanied Serge&nfe Conn to the Gladsboug Hotel on tha night of the 14-th May, also stafed that more than one bell was set ringing when the' police were admitted.

Mr Sim submitted that ib would bs exceedingly unfair to g«mt only a 10 o'clock license, ,as that course would seriously ' interfere with' the trade of the house and destroy bhe value of the business. The suggestion was thab Mr« Laverty had so much trade that she could nofc get bhrough with it by 11 o'clock, and he submitted the remedy was nob to reduce the time of closiog to 10 o'clock, bat to extend it to midnight. — (Laughter). The Chairman said ths commibeee were oE opinion thab if bhey granbed a license now ifa would have to be a 10 o'clock license, but if ib would be an advantage to the licensee or property-holder to take au adjournment for a fortnight — as tee commibtee had to adjourn for ether business — an adjournment would be granted. Mr Sim said he would take tbe adjournment.