REDUCTION OF LICENSES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 694, 25 June 1903, Page 23

REDUCTION OF LICENSES.

In administering the Reduction vote from the Kaiapoi Licensing Bench, Mr H; W. Bishop, S.M., referred to what h« termed the “ personal ” aspect in connection with either the licensees or owners df ’ particular premises. Various considerations of a personal nature had been advanced and urged on behalf of sotaw houses. Now, it was inevitable that som< degree of hardship should be inflicted upon some person or persons in connection with the carrying, out of Reduction. If that hardship was acute in any Instance in which he had to deal with a house, no one would regret it more deeply than he would. He might say at once, however, that he could find nothing what-, ever in the Licensing Acts to warrant himi in considering ownership as a material element in the deciding of the houses to be dosed. It seemed to him', if he read the law aright, that there were three main questions which must be considered : (1) The accommodation provided for Rodgers and travellers; (2) the convenience of the public ; (3) the particular requirements of the locality. In this district there were several houses between which there was little or nothing to choose, and this had made his task of selection very much harder than it might otherwise have been. It was an exceedingly unpleasant matter to have this personal aspect forced upon'* him. His duty was difficult and unpleasant enough without it. If he acted in this matter as some counsel ha’d urged, to be logical he would have to close up firstclass hotels owned by companies in preference to rattle-trap, tumble-down places owned by private individuals.