LICENSING BILLS FOR MASTERTON

Wanganui Chronicle, 16 October 1947, Page 4

LICENSING BILLS FOR MASTERTON

MEASURED ARE AMENDED CLAUSE PERMITTING LIQUOR IN RESTAURANTS DELETED (P.A.) Parliament Bldgs., Oct. 15. Elimination of the clause which provided for the sale of liquor in restaurants or dining rooms apart from hotel premises, iy an important amendment made to the Masterton Licensing Trust Bill by the special Select Committee, which reported back to the House of Representatives today on this Bill, and also on the Masterton Licensing Restoration Bill. An amendment to the latter Bill, which deals with the Masterton licensing district outside the trust area, fixes the number of licences at one for every 500 people instead of one for every 1000. as provided for in the original Bill. This is the ratio stipulated in the general licensing law.

An amendment to the Masterton Licensing Trust Bill alters the constitution of the Masterton Licensing Trust by providing for a trust of six members instead of four, as in the original Bill.

The clause dealing with the premises where liquor can b P sold has been amended to make it clear that the trust can only open dining rooms in hotel establishments. Substantial amendments have been made to the clause dealing with the number and situation of hotels. In the case of a proposal to establish a hotel within the borough of Masterton anv 20 or more electors residing w’ithin a radius of one quarter of a mile of the pronosed hotel may apply t.o a magistrate for an order that the hotel be not established on that particllar site on th e ground that it would be in the vicinity of a place of public worship, hospital or school. For these reasons they may also ask that a poll be taken on the proposal, or they can also ask for a poll on the ground that the area in question is predominantly a residential one, and there is reason to believe that a substantial number of residents would object to the establishment of the hotel