The Licensing Epoch

Southland Times, Issue 19088, 2 July 1903, Page 2

The Licensing Epoch

♦■ — '■ - ■ Ter United Press Association, ASHBTJBTON, July 1. To-day the no-license regime began fop three years. Although a large number of people were about tho streets and . frequenting the fcjtels last night nothing out. of the ordinary occurred. Th. railway refreshment rooms' lessee received a telegram from the Colonial Secretary instructing him to close the bar. The Ashburton Club management also received a wire from the Colonial Secretary revoking their charter. A meeting of the executive of the Club was at once held, and it was> decided . to close the bar and continue to sail liquor- in tho club rooms in order to test the right of the Colonial Secretary to revoke the charter, which was granted in 1880. WELLINGTON, July I.' The police paid a visit to Newtown hotels to-day and made purchases of liquor with v view to future proceedings. All the hotels are keeping open, despite the refusal of the committee to issue licenses. In view of the uncertainty as to when Judge Williams will be able to rear* ■■Wellington, the Appeal Court. has decided not to take the licensing cases this week. DUNEDIN, July 1. The port hotels opened this morning, but .closed almost immediately. Th« Milton hotelkeopers closed last night, pending the decision of the Appeal Court. / NAPIER, < July =1^ 1..- accordance with the vote carried at • tiie licensing poll Aye hotels here were closed to-day, and the whole closed at 1»> o'clock. The closing of the hotels at Mataura (writes our own correspondent) passed otT quietly. There were a number of people about the streets, who were very orderly, and there seemed to be no bad feeling existing among the people. The loctil constable was out till early in the morning, and had nothing to complain of Those who passed along Dee street yesterday svere struck by the black : draping, on the fipure of a swan on the parapet of the White Swan Hotel, one of the hotels deprived of license by the "Reduction" vote. The sale is elsewhere reported of the ground l«ase of the Criterion Hotel site ','Oore). The rent for the past term : of _l years has been £114. The upset at - the sale was reduced to £84, but notwithstanding the loss of the license bidding was spirited, and £105 svas reach- . ed before tho lease was knocked down to Mr James Knightj the present tenant. ' In anticipation of no-license, tho Southern Standard says, referring to the prosperity Gore has enjoyed :— Whether that advance is to continue unretarded under the altered condition of things upon which we enter to-morrow has been the cause of much speculation. The-pub-lic genwully look forward with curiosity to the ejects of the law's working.- Some prophesy business stagnation and dull-,. ness. and others view tfctj change as tho entrance upon an era of prosperity, • holding that the removal of the driuk traffic svill indirectly cause, the advent of a healthier and more honest trading existence under which the tradesman will experience the benefit of a speedier settlement of Ks clients' obligations. The .sly grog-seller is a disturbing element, so many consider, in the success of prohibition ; but. in a town of the size of Gore a vigilant police force, aided by a " rigorous lasv and an impartul Magistrate, will confine this practice to very limited hounds, as many, no doubt, who disagree with the principle of prohibition, svill not continue illicit grog-deal-ing. In many respects the system has a better chance of success in Gore than, in Clutha. svhere the owners of isolated public-houses, far assay from tHi eye Of the police, have exceptional opportunities of pursuing the trade of sly grogseUer. ThLs same thing, of course, applies to the country districts in tho Mataura electorate ; but in Gore, Wynd- " ham and Mataura, ordinary vigilance On the part of the police should nip in tho bud any attempt to work up the nefarious business. ~ The first hotel was erected in 1870 by .Mr Edward Brennan, on the site of the present Gore hotel- The second was the Railway hotel, built by Mr T. Green in 187."). In 1878 Mr T. Mulvey erected the third hotel, selecting East Gore as its site The year 1878 was an eventful one in Gore's history- The first bank branches . were opened, the first church services svere held, and justice was met- — ed out locally for the first time, the Magistrate's bench being in the billiardroom of Green's hotel. In the first year of the '80's a license was granted to Watsons hotel, and after his first premises had been destroyed by fire he erected the Southland hotel. In 1878 tho Commercial hotel ss-as erected by Mr W. Costello. and Gore, with a population of less than 250 souls, had five licensed houses The Club hotel. (Mr M. Wellbrook) svas erected in, 1883, g,nd in 1880 Mr .1. K. Grant built the Criterion The license of the Commercial was transferred to the Albion in 1886 or 1887, and the old building is now being used as a private dwelling. In 1893 " reduction " was carried at the local option poll, and the Railss-ay Hotel was closed, and on Tuesday night the remaining six bars put the shutters up in " obedience to the mandate oi the people — " for better or worse."