STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 9721, 12 June 1893, Page 2

STRATFORD NEWS.

[FROM OUR RESIDENT AGENT.I June 9. — What an afternoon ! Punctually at 12 o'clock the Licensing Committee, Messrs Perm (chairman), Capper, Doughty, Mulree, and Aiken, took their seats, and were followed into the Town Hall by a mixed multitude — publicans, anti-publi-cans, liopeto-be publicans, sinners of all sort* from lawyers and pressmen to loafers and expressmen, The le jal profession was there "in force, Skerre'tof Wellington, Welch of Hawera, and our own Luak and McDavitt. A few formalities were got through, an! Mr McDavitt opened the ball by applying on behalf ot Mr W. L. Tocker for a license for a house to be known as the Empire Hotel, the property of Messrs J. C George & Co., of New Plymouth. Mr Skerrett said he appeared as counsel for parties who had lodged a memorial against the isßtie of a certificate either in this case or in the case of aaother application that was to be made. Memorial read and objected to on the ground that it omitted to state the distaaceß from the proposed hotel to the residences of the memorialises. The chairman read the clause in the Licensing Act and ruled the memorial invalid Mr Suorrett demanded to be heard on the question of the validity of the memorial, but was told by the chairman that that document being void he had no standing. Mr bktrrett said he would drop that point for the present, and would appear on behalf of threo porsonal - objectors, Messrs Spillane, Kirkwood, and Wil eon, licensees respectively of the Club, County, and Stratford hotels. The Ghair- , man said those gentlemen must appear personally, and not by counsel — the Act seemed very clear. Mr Skerrett insisted upon his right to appear, and quoted case. The Chairman, after consulting with his colleagues, said that though convinced that Mr Skerrott Had no stan ling, the Committee cons dered they had a discretion in the matter, and had decided to hear h'in. An adjournment was then taken for luncr.eon and inspection of the proposed premises. On resuming, Mr Skerrett said hi 3 objections to Mr Tocker's application were that proper notices of the application had not been given, tnat tho building was not provided with reasonable accommodation, and that there was uo necossit> for another licensed house. Mr McDavitt called the applicant, who swore that he had complied with tlio necossary forms. In crossex mination he admitted that the luuee had been used as a storo, and was not yet properly fixed up for an hotel The Chairman here said he had reason to believe that tho premises wero disqualified, and instructed the Clerk to call Mr Liardet, who was sworn, and said ho was an auc lioneer, and had an interest in tho site of the proposed hotel, being the origiual lessee from the Railway Commissioner?, and was drawing reut from a sub-tenant. Tho Chai- man road the clause disqualifying any pr miscs in which an auctioneer has an interest. Mr McDavitt applied for an adjournment. Tho Committee retired for consultation, and on resuming" said an ■adjournment of tho application would bo granted to 10 a.m. on thu 17th Juno, and that they had another objection to state, \'\7. ; that the buildiug was too near the public school. The appli cation was then hear . of Thomas Keanc, for a license ior a house to be known as the Commercial Hotel, tho property of •Jamos Mackenzie. Mr Welch, who was instructed by Mr Lusk, on behalf of Mr Kcane, said that before formally appearing ho wished to draw the committee's attention to a claus ■ in the act which disqualified from acting on the committ-e, any paid officer of a, local body. He had been instructed that one member was a paid officer of tho town lie did not know i£ that was so, but it should be borne in mind that a penalty of £50 attached to such an official so sitting. Mr Doughty, one of the committee, here rose and thanked Mr Welch for the advice, but stated that he intended to sit, and if by so doing ho was acting illegally, Mr Welch knew what course to take. Mr Skerrott then Baid he appeared for the same objectors as before. Mr Welch baid he was taken by surpriso, having had no notice of any objection. He submitted that he was entitled to an a .journment at any stage of the proceed ings. He had heard of a memorial and beliovp.d. some such document was before tho Court. He was instructed tint a resident in tho place had applied to tho clerk to see the document in question, and had been refused. The Act stated distinctly that ail petitions and memorials .voro to bo open for public inspection, Ho then went on to speak of the groat progress of Stratford and the need for more hotel accommodation and so introduced that enterprising citizen Mr James Muc konzie, who, seeing tho need had undertaken to supply it with tho b'lilding they had inspoeted, and which although not quite complete, was sufficiently so to comply wi'.li the Act, He called attention to tho nature of the opposi ion, which was got up entirely by t'io tlireo puDlicans Them was no other real opposition, or it would h.ivo Imcn there that day. Three publicans had determined to keep out any further competition, nnd to that end had brought eminent couneol from a long distauco to prevent his client from pursuing hia calling in the placo. Tlio-o objectors were not going on any moral lino, which would be very liko tho devil quoting Scripture, hut wero simply trying all th y knew to keep the bawbees from going into any pockets but their own lie called It. 13. Lusk, who swore, 3s Mr Keano's bolicilor. to having complied with the necessary forms. Cross examined as to tho state of the building when ho p >atod the notice, ho said thero was a door in a frn"me\\ork, nnd some other wo k done which he could not specify. There was no floor and no roof. Thomas Keano, tho applicant, sworn, sai 1 he had kept hotels at Toko and at Alton, lie was prcsentod with a fifty guinea clock on leaving tho latter place. Crossexamined as Jo whether he thought the hotel would pay, said he had no hesitation in tackling it Had made all arrangements about furnishing. James Mackenzh deposed that ho was the owner of tho pro mises. His interest was freehold The house would be complete early in July It would cost between £1100 and £1200. Thero were 25 roomn, 12 stall stable, and every convenience for first-class hotel. Mr J. Darleyman held a mortgago on tho pro perty Cross-examined : Did not think all the sides wero up when tho notice of application was posted on front door. Tug sides wero now boarded all round. Floors wero not yet down. Waa a membor of the Licensing Committee at last quarterly mooting. Thero was then a statement undo by tho Cnairman He did not state that the c waß no need for more hotels. People had come to him for beds, as the hotels were full. To Mr Welch : Was in Hawera lately, and saw a new hot 1 being built and additions being mado lo another. John A. O'Neill said ho wiu a rvsident on the south side of the bridge. Thought thoro wan a necessity for an hotel on that side on account, of the mud and distance to tho othora. Thought there was a general need as publicans had told him that they wore full up. Cross-examined : said it wat a handy thing to have a publichouso near one's place of business Before tho third hotel was built hnd aeon people turned away from the others from want of room, and bolioved it had hippencd since. D. K. Gooch sworn said an hotel was wanted on the south aide of tho bridge, as it was getting old. When anything extra waa on in the town thero were no bods. Thought there should be another hotel. Had signed a papor against' tho license under the impression that it was a petition to get a certain gentleman on lo the Licensing Committee, believed the

paper was at Wilson's hotel when he signed it. H. Norman Liardet said he favored a new hotel partly on account of j the inconvenience to residents south of the bridge in having in order to get to the existing hotels to traverse a part of the ioad that in winter was simply indescribable from mud ; partly because he disapproved of monopoly ; and partly because on sale daja he had frequently seen people waiting in the public rooms for a shake-down on the floor. Population was increasing fast on the south side, an 1 an hotel on the north side, cv. n at Hutchesen's would not be convenient R. R. Eutcheson said he had had an intention to erect an hotel on the section adjoining his shop, but had given up the idea. His site was more central than the one proposed. Did not think the proposed hotel would pay. Hote's are not paying as well as they were 18-months ago Could not say if another was wanted. P. J . Leahy give evidence as to the state of the building when the application was lodged. Since the third hotel was built had heard no complaints of want of cccoinmodaiion. P. T Spilane swore that the accommodation at his house was sufficient for require merits lie was one of the three hotelkeepors who had got up tho memorial against the present application Crossexamined said his opposition was not from a monetary motive at all. He called tenders for additions to his house about six weeks ago, but had not accepted one. The additions consisted of a billiar 1-rooiu and other Binall rooms. W. P. Kirk wood said he had not had to refuse accommodation. Cross examined Baid he had purposed selling out, and bad asked considerably more than the sum he went in with. Refused to state whether it was more than £ICOO more Another house jnight take away from the selling price of his hotel. There was no need for another. Only undesirable characters were turned away. Have had stretches in the sample room, but only at race tiuao. Rev. A. English said he thought no more hotels were wanted . Had signed the momorial because he was told by two hotelkeepora that there was sufficient accommodation. Mr Welch then applied for an adjournment on tho ground that he had had no notice of the objections. Mr Skcrrett s?id his friend was entitled to an adjournrne t, but ho would now state his grounds for asking for a refusal of the certificate as it was unlikely he would make tho journey from Wellington again on t 1 c matter. Uis first objection was that there was not now an existing house as stateJ in the appli cation, his second that there was no house at tho time of making the application, and his third objection was that there was no need for more licensed houses lie dwelt at bnglh on the evidence, showing the building to have been incomplete at the time o posting; tho notice, there being little more thau a door, and on the house being still in a very uuhaished state. Ho cted casts in which tlie Supreme Court hail held that a Licensing Committee had no jurisdiction to grant a certificate for an unfinished buil ing. With regard to his third objection he considered the evidence conclusive that the three hotels now existing were sufficient. He instanced New Ply mouth's six hotoli as boing sufficient for its population of 3350, and characterized it as absurd to suppose that Strutford with u>ider 1000 population required four. Mr Welch replied, and cited cajus in which the Supreme Court had apparently taken the very opposite line to tint disclosed in tho cases brought forward by his earned fiiend He asked for an adjournment for one calendar month. The Committee retiied to consult, and after some considerable time returned with a decision to grant Mr Welch's request, and adjourn the hearing to 10 a.m. on July Bt\ Renewals were granted without opposition to the holders of tho existing licenses.

An iinmonßO amount of interest was taken in the proceedings throughout, there bein^ fully 100 persons present besides those more immediately interested.