NO INTERFERENCE IN HOTEL CONTROL BY LOCAL CHAMBER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 99, 17 February 1950, Page 5

NO INTERFERENCE IN HOTEL CONTROL BY LOCAL CHAMBER

Although the Whakatane Chamber ,of Commerce made every endeavour to obtain a wholesale liquor licence and another publican’s licence for.' the district it was not going to interfere with their distribution or future control, the chamber president, Mr B. L. Butler, told the Beacon yesterday, after a report was referred to him of the possibility of a trust controlled hotel being established at Te Puke. He was asked whether the Whakatane Chamber had yet considered such a proposal for the town. Before the Licencing Commission had heard the evidence for the district, Mr Butler said that it had been decided by the Chamber to support any move to obtain extra hotel and wholesale licences, but should they be granted it would take no further interest in their control. At this stage the Chamber considered that the distribution would become more of a personal matter and because of the wide representation of the community it was thought that any interference would be bound to annoy somebody. Personal Interest However, Mr Butler added, Chamber members were no doubt personally interested as to the futurei control of the licences.

The Te Puke Chamber of Commerce, unlike that at Whakatane, has taken a personal interest in the possible future control of the hotel licence granted for the town. At a recent meeting their was enthusiastic support for trust control, similar to the schemes now operating in Invercargill and Masterton. It was recommended to the Te Puke Borough Council that it apply for the licence and has further suggested that a poll of ratepayers be held on the possibility of a trust control hotel.