AUCKLAND HOTELS

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 10

AUCKLAND HOTELS

WILL REMAIN CLOSED. (special to "the p&ess.") AUCKLAND. November 20. - The most interesting feature of the strike to-dny was the application of the Licensed Victuallers' Association to the magistrates, Messrs Kettle and Ciitten. for permission to re-open the hotels. Mr Ciitton said that there was an increasing probability of partisan fooling getting stronger. Those in charge of them, so far as ho conld see, had been able to exercise excellent control over the men, and thore.bad been no serious trouble, but if things went against the men, it was quite probable that the lvov would get completely out of Land. So far as bo could see. the necessity for tho closing of the hotel;} was greater now than at. the beginning. The Magistrates quite understood that the keeping of hotels was a legal business, and the burden of closing the hotels was on thoso who wished to convince the Magistrates that ii was necessary to keep them closed. Inimediatelv they felt justi-. tied in re-opening tho hotels they would do so.

Mr 0. Nicholson, who appeared on behalf of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, stated that the position had greatly changed from the time whoa the hotels were first closed. Then fiOOl) people wore out of work, and feeling Avas hich. The men were crowding the "streets, special police were being enrolled in the town and tho country, and it was openly stated that if special constables tame into tho city there would be riots unci violence. The hotelkeepcrs, recognising the position themselves, acquiesced in the clewing or the hotels. Now, instead of CCv) men out of work by force of circumstances and voluntarily, there was .1 very much smaller number. Work was being resumed, the people were getting used to the "specials, *' and there was a force of 3000 "specials" to protect people and property, and citizens who werecarrying on a legal business should ho protected in that business. They should not be penalised because there were malcontents in tho city admittedly breaking the laiv. Tho hotelkeepers felt that they were being harshly treated, and that too much weight was being given to the lawbreaking portion of the community. Tf any riot took place, two Justices of tho Peace could exercise their powers to have the hotels closed immediately. It was a very drastic privilege to allow, and ft this a privilege to be exercised on the spur of the moment at a time when trouble actively impended. If the order closing the hotels were suspended, there was nothing to prevent two Justices of tho peace again closing tho hotels in any case >of emergency; Counsel pointed out that, in Wellington the hotels were closed two or three times on occasions of excitement during the week and reopened afterwards* That, no considered, was a reasonable interpretation of the Act. ' :

Several witnesses gave evidence in opposition to the re-opening of the hotels.

■ Mr Arthur Rosser stated that he.'wma a- Justice of the Peace, and a Union ./secretary. His offico was in the' Trades Hall, which -Mr Nicholson termed; -"the storm centre," and , it was'tho wish of the men concerned that the hotels should not bo re-opened at this stage. Ho was a spectator of yesterday's trouble in Hobson street, and he was satisfied "that tho control-ho had there would not have been obtained bad the hotel opposite not been closed. There was no "retaliation yesterday on the part of the men. Ho was satisfied that there was a strong feeling now that if the hotels wero re-opened, the "specials" and tho men would meet in the bar and there would be words .and blows, with the blows first. Mr Frederick Mclveown, a member of the Bricklayers' Union, and a representative of the Strike Committee for that body, said that there would be Woodshed- within two hours ju* the hotels were opened. ,A message was also received from tho officer in charge of the "specials'"camp, opnosing the re-opening of ihe hotels. 1 :* The Magistrates, after conferring, announced that they could not - agree to the licensed victuallers' request.