HOTEL LICENSE FEES

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21336, 6 February 1941, Page 9

HOTEL LICENSE FEES

(To the Editor) Sir,— In your issue of January 3 you published a report in the news of the day referring to my remarks at the last council meeting. Might I be permitted to stale that my remarks at the council meeting regarding the charges for the hotel licenses were as follows: “I regret that in the interests of public safety the Waikato Hotel should be pulled down as there are only five licensed hotels in Hamilton. I consider that a more generous distribution of licenses should be given in this town. As I understand it. the Licensing Act allows one license for every 500 people, and as me population in Hamilton today is 20,000, this scale would bring £2OOO in revenue to the Borough Council, whereas we are only getting £2OO. Jf the Government does not amend the Licensing Act the five hotels operating today have a monopoly of the whole of the trade of 20,000 people. This monopoly does not tend to give good service to the travelling public as a whole.” I further stated that some of the people were opposed to further licenses, but whilst the majority of the people demanded licensed hotels there should be a redistribution and no monopoly allowed. The present system appeared to me an encouragement to sly-grogging that was known to take place in Hamilton. I consider that if this monopoly is allowed to continue they should be forced to pay the £2000.—1 am, etc., COUNCILLOR C. LAFFERfY* Frankton, February 5.