LICENSING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 960, 4 June 1883, Page 2

LICENSING.

Ashburton Borough. The annual meeting of the above Com* mittee was held to-day to consider th e granting of the licenses for the ensuin year, there being present —Messrs RAlcorn (in the chair), T. Bullock, S. E. Poyntz, P. Mayo, and VV. Gavin. The following applications were considered : J. Beecher applied for a license for the Central Hotel.—There was no objection, and the license was granted. • J. F. Butler, Family Hotel.—Mr Crisp appeared for applicant.—Sergeant Felton repo ted that the suggested improvements had been carried out.- Granted.

P. L. K. Hill, Somerset Hotel.—There being no objection the license was granted. ' William Power, Royal Hotel.—Sergeant Felton reported that the centre part of the building was old, but the applicant had promised to re-build before licensing day, and that he would hare a bathroom erected and the water laid on. The Committee granted the license on condition that the improvements were carried out by the next licensing day. Thomas Quill, Commercial Hotel —The Sergeant said that this was a remarkably

well-conducted house ; indeed one of the best in the Provincial District.—The

license waa granted.—Mr Quill asked if the Committee had taken into consideration whether they would grant an extension of the license to eleven o’clock. —The Chairman said the Committee would consider the matter later on. Thomaa Quill, Railway Refreshment Rooms —In applying for a rewewal, Mr Quill said that when he took out the license for these rooms it cost L4O. At Christchurch only L3O was charged, although at that place they necessarily did a much larger trade. He asked the Committee to reduce the rate as he considered it very excessive.—ln answer to the Chairman, Mr Quill said that at Timaru the licensee did not pay anything, as the rooms were leased under a different arrangement.—The Chairman, after consideration, said that the C nimittee recognised the Justice of Mr Quill’s contention, and they thought that the lessee of the Ashburton rooms should not pay so much as at Christchurch. The fee would be reduced to L2O this year, and a recommendation to that effect would be sent to the Borough Council. Archibald McOoll applied to have the transfer of the license of the Ashburton Hotel from Thomas Orphin ratified by the Committee.—Granted.

Bt an application made by Mr Crisp, that an expression of opinion should be given concerning the granting of eleven o’clock licenses, the Committee retired to consider, the question, and on returning the Chairman said that they had come to a unanimous conclusion not to extend the hour, but that if any meeting waa held in an hotel which necessitated the house keeping open after ten o’clock no difficulty would be placed in the way of obtaining special permission. j This concluded the business, and the Committee adjourned. Timaru. [BT TELEGRAM.] Tiuabv, To-day. At the annual meeting of the Timaru Licensing Committee to-day. it was decided to discontinue all twelve o’clock licenses. The publicans all had the option of taking ten or eleven o’clock licenses. They accepted the latter, and all the licenses were renewed, the houses being well reported on. An order waa made for hotel lamps to be kept burning till 11 o’clock >on week nights and 10 on Sunday nights. Dunedin. Dunedin, To-day. The Licensing Committee of Dunedin South granted midnight licenses to hotels in the main parts of Princes street, but restricted the hours in neatly all the other oases where midnight licenses were hitherto held. Respecting the “ lambing down ” case at Scott’s Hotel, the Bench expressed an opinion that it was a very bad case, but as no proceedings were taken in the Police Court they declined to cancel the license.