LICENSE GRANTED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 223, 19 September 1940, Page 4

LICENSE GRANTED

m VICTORIA HOTEL. SOLDIERS' ACCOMMODATION. The application of Norman Samuel Fraser for confirmation of the transfer of the license to him of the Victoria Hotel, recently .placed out of bounds by the military authorities for sbldiers in uniform, was granted yesterday by the Auckland Licensing Committee at it* adjourned quarterly meeting. The decision of the committee was announced by the chairman of the committee, Mr. W. li. McKean, S.M., after evidence had ■been heard and the committee had adjourned to consider the verdict. Mr. i McKean said a majority of the committee held- the opinion that the licensee's application for confirmation of the transfer should be granted. Sergeant J. H. Dennehy said he had visited the hotel regularly for a year. He had often found large nunibtu'd of soldiers and sailors on the premises. Beds and "Shakedowns." Sergeant F. Taylor said that on June 21 he had found that there were bookings for 42 beds and r>4 "shakedowns," and on July 12 for 27 beds and 43 "shakedowns." The licensee had informed him that he did not like to see soldiers walking the streets and had been doing what he could to accommodate them. "I know he has sometimes telephoned the police station and even called at the watehhouee for permission to take in more men," lie said in cross-examination. ■Sergeant J. L. Adams said sailors were charged 1/0 and soldiers 2/6 for a night's lodging. On August 16 he found there were bookings for 78 beds and "shakedowns," but there not more than o0 beds. On August 29 there were 30 soldiers on the premises. The licensee said lie had never had any complaints from the police about the conduct of the hotel. They visited the premises on an average of once a night, but had paid as many visits as live in one night. They hail called at 5 a.m. one day to check the number of lodgers booked in the previous night. In reply to Mr.. McKean, the licensee said he did not know the reason for the military authorities declaring the hotel out of bounds. He had had no complaints from them. Mr. McKean: They must know something of what goes on in your hotel. The Licensee: The navy has asked me to look after its men and keep them there. No Reasons Given for Charge. Mr. J. B. Elliot, who appeared for the licensee, said the military authorities would give no reasons for declaring the 'hotel out of bounds. A charge could not be answered when no reasons were given for it, and he asked the committee to disregard it entirely. It was conceivable that the army action was at the instigation of the police. There might be some military or other reason which had nothing whatever to do with the Licensing Act. If there was anything wrong the police would have found out. Hotelkeepers did not know whether to accept men of the services or refuse them lodging. Most of the men coukl not afford ,to pay 6/ or 7/ a night. "Shakedowns" with clean sheets were a benefit to the men. Owing to the publicity recently . given and the fear of hotelkeepers to take in soldiers the Carrie Hostel had turned away 100 men o.jt September 7. • Mr. McKean said the committee was not going to tell licensees what to do, but it had. no objection to accommodation being given to any soldier. Sub-Inspector Pender: The police have no objection as long as the booking is genuine.