THE MIDHIRST HOTEL

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 41, 24 June 1929, Page 6

THE MIDHIRST HOTEL

RENEWAL OF LICENSE. COMMITTEE’S OBJECTION. A special meeting of the Strnlforu Licensing Committee was hold this morning for the purpose of further considering the case of the Mid hirst Jrlotel. At the annual meeting of the committee ois June 10th an application was made on behalf of Kv E. Vince for a renewal of the license. No objection was offered hy the police',. but the committee took the objection that the house was out. of im-

pair. and adjourned tire application till to-day for further heairng, Mr R R„ Tyrei' appeared for the owner of,the premises and Mr E. S. Rntherfurd for the licensee. On. the bench were Messrs E>- TV. Tate S.M. (chairman), J. B. Xline, J. TV. ATcAlillan, N. B. Clelund and E. Alarfell. Mr Rutherford, said the repairs asked for by the police report were now in hand.

JS IT NECESSARY. Air Tyrer held that some portion of the repairs required! could not he legally demanded. A sanitary convenience upstairs, was asked for, but its absence diet not make the- building insanitary. Mr Tate said that his opinion was that a recent decision was to the effect that inside privies were necessary to put a house in a sanitaivyi condition. However, the matter was a minor one. Air Rutherford said the, committee might be influenced] hy the, fact that xe-buiJdiilA was iproinised' three years. Mr Tate said tlxfc repairs made last year might have been thrown away and future repairs, may be thrown away, but the responsibility of the committee was to keep the house in a proper state of repair at all times.

POLICE INSPECTION. In evidence, Sergeant Power said he inspected the house, early in May. He found the floor in the kitchetnf wag sunk. Perhaps it was on the ground, stopping ventilation and making' for dampness. A rotten beam on the bah cor.Vy constituted a danger. In rooms 7 to 12 the. lining was riddled by borer. The rooms had been re-papereq recently, hut the borer was again through tbo paper. Witness considered that a sanitary convenience was essential upstairs. The slop hopper, should he removed. A defective bargeboard let darmpuess i'-to the bathroom ceiling. New beams were required at ,a tank and a nCw plate in, the front of the building. The window! of the bar parlour needed reprA-ing, to enable it to be opened. Drainage from the house ran to a County tunnel which, carried it under the -railway, where it disposed! of itself in a swampy creek. The tunnel was installed by the County Council. to take/ off storm-water aild the water from a creek. Witness recommended a complete new drainage, system, discharging into a septic tank. If the old sanitary system was continued, in view of re-building, and in view of, a new system now put in perhaps not being suitable to the new building, it would he condoning arf unsatisfactory system. After consulting with the health authorities witness modified iris demands, in 'view of proposed) re-building, and the how, drainage system was r.Dt insisted on. The Stratford Licensing Committee continued its sitting this afternoon, the special business being to consider the application for the renewal of the license for the Mount Bgmont Hotel, Midhirst, the committee having take.,, up an objection to the renewal on the ground that the building is out of i%:dr.( ,Evidence similar to that given by Sergeant Power was given by A. E. Sayers, local representative of the Health Department. Ho said that complaints bad been received as to stench arising from the man-hole down which the drainage travelled to the tunnel, and the men who had to clean out the tunnel complained of the stench iifi it. In view of rebuilding the present sanitary arrange' incuts might he allowed to continue, but a monthly inspection would be desirable.

Mr Tate, S.M. (chairman) : If the offer to re-build was withdrawn, what would your attitude be? "Witness; 1 would like to see all the demands met. Mr Tate asked Mr Tyrer what definite .satisfaction the committee could get as regards re-building. In 192 S it appeared that the house had practically been condemned. Mr Tyrer said the owner was prepared to give any undertaking required by the committee. Mr J. \V. McMillan: What would the position be if the building was sold ? Mr Tyrer ; The minute would! be ou the committee’is books. Mr Tate; The committee has to see that the premises are in good repair. Continuing 1 , Mr Tate said, the witnesses examined were prepared to waive the demand for renewal of worm-eaten lining, hut it could not ho denied that this was a matter which should bo remedied. A" license could not be issued on conditions. The committee could not renew the license on condition that the house was re-built. Mr Tyrer said the committee could refuse to renew unless the house was re-built. Mr Tate said the renewal could not

be refused on that ground. Tbc committee could refuse to renew if the house was not kept in repair. Mr llutherfurd thought the owner should be asked to enter into a bond to do the repairs and to re-build within three years. Mr Tate: But what will the position he in, IPbO. Owing to the ago of the building, further extensive repairs would almost certainly' Be required next year. At this point, the members of ibo committee retired for discussion.