PUBLICAN'S BOOTH IN THE PARK.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7985, 14 March 1906, Page 5

PUBLICAN'S BOOTH IN THE PARK.

A DEPUTATION WAITS UN THE BOROUGH COUNCIL. NO DEFINITE DECISION AKRiVED AT. Some time ago the Park Committee brought before the Borough Council a recommendation that no more licenses be granted for pufcli can's booths on the Park Oval, on the occasion of sports gatherings being held there. At their meeting on January 16tb, the Council, after a long disoussion, rejected the recommendation by fire votes to four. Apparently thau decision did not meet with the approval of the whole of the community, for at the meeting of tne Borough Council, last evening, a deputation, consisting of Messrs. Cross, R. V. Williams, T. U. Wellington, J. Carpenter, J. Millar and Dr. W. H. Hosking, waited on the meeting, with a view to having the publican's booth abolished from the Park during snorts gatherings. Mr Cross stated that the deputation wanted the Council to pasu a by-law prohibiting driiili! being sold on the Park Oval. It was not for the sake of themselves, but for that of their wives and children. It lay in the Council's power to prohibit the publican's booth being allowed in the Park, and he thought tha; it was their duty to do so.

The Mayor said that the matter had been previously settled by the Council, and the _, fact of the old Licensing Committee being returned at that day's poll showed that the majority of the people were not against the booth being in the Park, for one of the main issues fought at the doII was whether the publican's booth should be allowed in the Park or not. He further pointed out to the deputation that if they wished to reject the booth from the Park, why not do likewise at the A. and P. Show and race meetings? If it was the unanimous wish of the Counoil the matter oould be discussed then and there, otherwise a notice of motion was required. Or Ewington stated tliafc in the flrdt instance the question of abolishing the publican's booth from the Park had oome as a recommendation from the Park Committee, and as the Counoil had only rejeoted that recommendation, he failed to see why a notice of motion was now required to re-open the question. He contended that the Council had full power to prevent the publican's booth being allowed on the Park Oval, and the manner he 1 suggested doing so would be to only let the Park for sDorts gatherings on condition that "there should be no booth on the grounds. Or Feist stated that he was very pleased to support the last speaker's remarks. Or Elliott said that the question need not be opened then. The simple way to act In the matter would be for the Park Committee to again recommend to the Counoil to abolish the booth from the Park, and that body oould adopt the report or not. Or Pauling was of the opinion that the whole question was one for the Licensing Committee, and Cr Morris agreed with the Mayor's objections. Cr Elliott stated that the Park Committee would take all the responsibility with the ratepayers in the matter, but the Mayor added that it was the Council, who were responsible to the ratepayers and not the Park Committee. Or Temple stated that after the spores on Saturday next he proposed to again bri'Jg the matter before the Park Commmittee for recommendation to the Council, and then he believed their side would win. Or Hoar remarked that in whatever form the matter was again brought before the Council, he would support the abolition of the booth from the Park.

The matter was then allowed to drop.