Concern At Delay In Restaurant Licensing

Press, Volume C, Issue 29503, 3 May 1961, Page 14

Concern At Delay In Restaurant Licensing

The Presf Special service

AUCKLAND. May 2. Auckland restaurant proprietors are “concerned and most disappointed” at the delays in implementing the legislation passed last year to provide for the issue of 10 dining licences to approved restaurants.

Several restaurant proprietors said that after the change in the law, restaurants which might qualify for a licence were encouraged to prepare formal applications. It was understood that the hearing of the applications would begin in Auckland in February and that licences would be granted immediately afterwards.

In fact, they said, the regulations governing the issue of licences had not yet been presented and no reason had been given for the delay. It had been suggested that action had been , held up so the Government could consider granting a large number of licences to restaurants. Such a move, it was sai'd. would be welcomed >by restaurant proprietors; but it should not prevent action from being pursued on the initial 10 licences which Parliament approved last year In Auckland. 25 restaurants have applied for licences “The delay in acting on these

applications has proved an acute embarrassment to the restaurants,” one proprietor said. “The public, for their part, seem definitely of the opinion that licences could have been granted three months ago and that the restaurants are somehow to blame for this delay. That is far from the case.” A deputation from the Auckland Restaurant Proprietors’ Association will meet the Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) in Wellington this week to discuss the delay in issuing licences and to draw the attention of the Government to the difficulties that are being created.