LICENSING COURT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 2195, 22 April 1874, Page 2

LICENSING COURT.

The first sitting of tho Licensing Board under the " Licensing Act, 1873," was held in the Court Room yesterday, at 3 p.m., to consider applications for licenses. The Resident Magistrate (H. Eyra Kenny, Esq.), and Messrs. Crompton, Honeyfield, and Northcroft, formed the Board. There was a largo number of persons present. Mr. Halse appeared for moßtof the applicants. Mr. Barton represented certain memorialists who opposed tho renewal of the lioenses of the Taranaki and Imperial Hotels, and the granting of a license for a new house at the Henni. The following publicans' licenses were granted :— Telegraph Hotel, W. Bartlett, Opnnake. Oeo Hotel, H. Ussher. Kanpokonui Hotel, Baka. Oakara Hotel, B. Grylls. Omata Inn, F. Newshaca. Sonth Road Hotel, J. Grylls. White Hart Hotel, R. White. Ship Hotel, H. Hammond. Masonic Hotel, W. Cottier. Windsor Castle Hotel, G. Tanneoliff. Red Honse Hotel, £. Borer. Village Inn, T. Cook. Prince of Wales Hotel, T. Goddard. Waitara Hotel, T. Leedom. Bridge Hotel, W. Brooking. Manutahi Hotel, (Hairangi,) J. Shore, Urenoi Hotel, J. Wilkinson. The application of Mary Raymond for a license at the Henni, was refused by the Court. All the applications for wholesale lioenses were granted, bat tho Coart raled that the Act contained no provisions for the issue oi bottlo licenses, all therefore were rejected. The next application was for a license for the Taranaki Hotel, against whioh a memorial with a large nambor of signatures had been lodged. Mr. Halse, who appeared for the applicant, hoped that tho memorial would not be pressed, if, as he imagined, it was direotod against the honse, as he had arranged to transfer the house to Mr» McCusker, late of the Beach Hotel. Mr. Burton declined to withdraw the memorial. Mr. Halse then objected to the momorial being read at all, as the oollectors of the signatures had not appended their signatures as required by the Act. The objection was deemed fatal, but the Court after retiring deoided not to grant a oertiGcato to the present tenant, but offered to substitute the name of Francis MoCusker, an offer whioh was accepted by Mr. Halse. The remaining application was for a cortificate for the Imperial Hotel, against which a memorial had been lodged ; but Mr. Burton did not read it, as the objection raised to tho previous document applied equally to the present. Sergeant Dunu, who was referred to by the Court, said the houße had been fairly conducted lately, in whioh he was confirmed by Constable Duffio, Mr. Crompton asked if gambling was not curried on in tho house ? Sergeant Dunn said he was not aware of it. There was a billiard table. Mr. Crompton ! said he had heard that the house was frequented by boys between fifteen and sixteeu years of age and he wonld vote against a license being granted where boys wero encouraged to drink and gamble. < Sergeant Dunn said that young men frequented the bilHard-room, but he did not know they gambled. Mr. Crompton : Is there not very disorderly conduct there P Constable DnfSn : Lately the house has been conducted in a very different manner to what it was. Mr. Crompton : What has made the change ? Constable Duffin : I j warned him some time since ; that may have made the difference. Mr. Crompton : I think aomething should be done to put an end to boys going there. What time do they leave ? Constable Duffin : They call themselves voting I men ; they are between eighteen and twenty years of age. I have seen them leave the house at different times between 10 and 12. The Court then retired ; and, on returning, the Resident Magistrate said that a majority agreed that the house should be treated in the same way as the last; and, if another name was substituted for the present lioensee, they would grant a certificate. Mr. Hnlse, after consulting with Mr. Uncles, replied that the latter was not prepared to nominate any one on so short a notice. The matter really rested between the applicant and the owner of tho property. Mr. Crompton had alluded to mere rumours, whilst the police had really given evidence to show the contrary was the case. The Resident Magistrate said Mr. Halse mnst not address a member of the Court by name. Mr. Halse replied that he did not do so except to disconnect the other memburs of the Court from what Mr. Crompton had siated. Since the Court had decided on suoh au extreme step, he would ask time for the applicant to consider the proposal of a substitute. Mr. Burton said that, if the license were granted, he mnst ask for time, in order that a fresh memorial might be sent in. Mr. Crompton said, in thinking the matter over, he did not wish to act in an arbitrary manner. He had heard from good authority that boys wero pormitted to assemble in the bonse ; and he would strenuously oppose granting a license to any one who enoonraged snob a state of things. He would withdraw bis opposition od the understanding that the housa was kept under strict surveillance by tho police, and that any infraction should deprive him of the house. On these terms, he wonld withdraw his opposition. Mr. Halse said that, although he appeared for tho holders of liennsed houses, he was no advocate for drunkenness ; and he quite agreed with all that had fallen from Mr. Crompton respecting the proper mode of conducting houses, and the surveillance of the police. The Resident Magistrate tbon intimated that Mr. Uncieß' certificate would be granted. This boing the whole of the business, the Court rose.

Steam to Taranaki. — Tho New Zealand Shipping Company (pays the Snuthcrn Cmss) havo withdrawn thoir stoamors from tho freight traffic with Taranaki, and have ceased to carry cargo to the port of New Plymouth Yet Taranaki is a place worth cultivating for commercial purposes, and it seems a strange thing in steam coastal trade that such a withdrawal should have been determined npon. It may bo that the small local steamer which, wo believe, hails from New Plymouth, and trades occasionally between that town and onr port in the Manukau, may have somewhat lessened the traffic of the New £eamnd Company ; but saroly onr Auckland mercantile men will not, wiihpuc effort to provent it, allow the trade betwe.en this city and Taranaki to be injured through this redaction of the means of freight oonvoyance. Wellington is already taking time by the forelook, and a merchant there is about to place a steamer on the route between that port and New Plymonth. Some time since, the Auckland Steam Packet Company proposed, among other things, to provide, special steam communication between Auckland and New Plymouth, so as to secure that large sharo of the Taranaki trade whioh Auckland ought fairly to enjoy from her commercial as well as from her geographical position. Since then the railway hence to Onehunga has been opened, and tho link of trade being tuns completed between the oity and the port of Onehunga, somothing should be done without delay to establish a steamboat trade with our neighbouring Province. We recommend the subject to the consideration of tho Stnam Paoket Company, and also to that of tho Chamber of Commorce.