HOW EDGECOMBE WAS GRANTED NEW HOTEL LICENSE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 18, 3 April 1950, Page 5

HOW EDGECOMBE WAS GRANTED NEW HOTEL LICENSE

Some interesting facts of how the new hotel license was recently granted to Edgecumbe is contained in a letter to the Editor from the solicitor of the owner of the present private hotel at Edgecumbe. The letter states: — /

“With regard to the proposal to establish a Trust Hotel at Edgecumbe has anyone stopped to consider the other parties concerned? “When the Licensing Control Commission was sitting at Rotorua to consider the allocation of hotel licenses, Mrs Holden the owner of the Edgecumbe Private . Hotel, requested the support of both the Edgecumbe Progressive League and the Whakatane County Council in the making of representations for the allocation of a license to Edgecumbe. Both the League and the County Council replied that they were not prepared to make any representations or to give any assistance. Mrs Holden herself engaged Counsel to appear on two days before the Commission at Rotorua and a witness appeared on her behalf to give the necessary evidence. As a result of the efforts of Mrs Holden unaided by any local body or anyone else, a license was allocated to Edgecumbe. The type of hotel arid situation of same stipulated by the Commission clearly show that in making the allocation the Commission had in mind Mrs Holden’s Private Hotel. “Now that Mrs Holden has obtained the allocation of the license the League and the County Council have decided to take advantage of her efforts and to compete with her for such license—the allocation of which she obtained unaided by anyone else and with which they both refused to having anything to do. “An advertisement in the Beacon shows that the premises in which the Trust intends to carry on its business if it obtains the license, are the premises belonging to Mrs Holden. Not only do the public bodies concerned intend to deprive her of the license to which she is justly entitled, but they also intend to take her property under the provisions of The Public Works Act.

“The people of Edgecumbe will be asked to endorse this action tomorrow night,” the letter concludes and is signed B. S. v ßarry, Solicitor for- Mr and Mrs Holden.