LICENSING COMMITTEES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6233, 4 June 1890, Page 3

LICENSING COMMITTEES.

TIMAEU. The annual meeting of the Titnaru Licensing Committee was held at noon to-day. Present: Messrs E. ft. Kerr (chairman), J. P. Warren, E. G. Stericker, J. Crawford and W. Priest. Nearly all the licensees were in attendance. The chairman stated that the police report on the conduct of the houses was in every case satisfactory. Transfers of licenses wore granted as follows :-Clarendon Hotel, S. Parmenter to W. Moore ; Ship Hotel, W. F. Brown to S. Parmenter ; Criterion Hotel, executors of the late Q-. Newey to D. McQuinness. The licenses were then renewed in all cases for the year, for eleven o’clock, lighting as hitherto. The license to the Clarendon Hotel however was granted subject to a special condition. The chairman read from a police report that a new building was required, the papering and sc rimming were in a very bad condition at the time of inspection. The licensee however said he would have the home repaired, repapered and painted inside and out by the date of the annual meeting otherwise the premises were clean. f ergeant-Major Mason said he inspected the house again the previous day and found that Mr Moore had gone to considerable expense inside and out. Home more papering was rer quired yet, and the back premises were not satisfactory and he did not know what could be done to them except rebuilding. It was for the committee to say whether a new house should be demanded. If the house were in a town where wooden buildings prevailed it would be reckoned good for nine or ten years yet j but the committee had insisted upon the rebuilding of the Boyal, which was not in much worse condition. Un that decision he felt bound to report that a new building was required, though if the house were in Temuka or Geraldine it would be considered good for many years. The Chairman, addressiag the licensee, said the committee had talked it over and had come to the decision to grant the license this year on condition that the further repairs mentioned by the Sergt.-M.ajor were carried out, and that a new building be erected before the next annual meeting. The committee had for some time been of opinion that the house should be rebuilt, but as the licensing committees were only elected for one year they could not enforce any decision founded upon such an opinion. The law had however been altered ; at the next election a committee would be chosen for three years—an amendment which the committee considered extremely wise—and the new committee could enforce any decision about rebuilding, by taking away a license if their decision was not complied wish. They were of opinion that the house should bo entirely reinstated, and would place upon record that if they wore members of the next committee they would insist upon a new house next year. is to say, that the whole of the present building must be demolished and a new one built, according to plans to be approved at an intervening quarterly meeting, by the date of the next annual meeting. This opinion would be recorded for the information of the next committee. Mr White appeared for the licensee of the Ship Hotel, and applied for and was granted a second bar. Mr Mason, in conclusion, said he found the bouses very clean. He did not like to particularise but some of them were in splendid condition, in fact they were so generally. DUNEDIN. (By Tbeegeapd.) DUNEDIN, Juste 4. The Licensing Committee adjourned some applications in which two convictions had been reeorled, to enable the licensees to show cause. The chairman explained that they had deprived no one of a license because the conditions contemplated by by the legislature had not taken place, none of the statutable objectors having put in an appearance. The bench intimated that they required to be furnished with good grounds before taking any steps towards reducing the hotels.