MASTERTON LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8997, 6 December 1907, Page 5

MASTERTON LICENSING COMMITTEE.

QUARTERLY MEETING,

The quarterly meeting of the Masterton Licensing Committee was held in the courthouse yesterday mornin<r. There were present—Messrs W. P. James, S.M. (chairman), J. H. Pauling, F. J. Bright and J. Hessey. The police reported thit certain additions were required to the drainage at the Tinui Hotel. Mr C. A. Pownall, on behalf of the licensee (Mr W. Roigard) stated that the matter would be attended to. • Sergeant Miller recommended that repairs should be carried out in the Whakataki Hotel building, and Mr C. A. Pownall, fcr the licensee (Mr W. S. Barr) undertook to see that the matter was attended to. With regard to the Mauriceville Hotel, the police reported that the licensee, Mr F. M. Ross, had been charged, on October 28th, with having permitted drunkenness and gambling on the premises, but the evidence had been conflicting, and the case was dismissed. Sergeant Miller considered that, generally speaking, the hotel had been unsatisfactorily conducted. He also complained that a resident of Mauriceville had been drinking daily at the hotel from September 21st to November 14th, and that the licensee had secured a lease over the man's farm.

Mr Pbwnall, who appeared for the licensee, said that the person mentioned by the sergeant was sober duriner the time he frequented the hotel. He explained that the question of the lease would form a Supreme Court action, and he urged that the Bench should allow the matter to stand over until,that :ase settled. Mr ti. J. Dolan, who appeared for the leasor in the case mentioned, agreed with counsel for the licensee that it would be advisable to allow the matter to stand over until the Supreme Court action had been settled.

The chairman of the Bench, who had heard the case against the licensee for allowing gambling and drunkenness on his premises when the question of (he lease cropped up, siid he understood that the licensee would surrender the lease, but that had nothing to do with the Licensing Bench. He thought the case would serve as a warning to Ross for the better conduct of his business in future.

An application was made by the licensee of the Mauriceville Hotel for a temporary license at the Mauriceville sports meeting on Boxing- Day. Sergeant Miller opposed the application, stating that at the last sports meeting the applicant had been warned against serving intoxicated persons, and two men had been removed from the grounds for drunkenness.

Mr Pownall, for the applicant, denied the police allegations, and stated that the temporary license had been granted for several years for the sports and no objections had been made.

The Bench eventually granted the application, and cautioned the licensee against his conduct in the future.

CABLE Nfc'WS.

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