WELLINGTON LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 679, 2 December 1909, Page 5

WELLINGTON LICENSING COMMITTEE.

——r~r»— —r-f,.,',,, ~'■: , ■ " '";-.' THE HOTEL -CECIL..■—..,.; ■■■■:/. ' A sitting of the Wellington: Licensing Bench was' held yestcrdajv morningj Dr. M'Arthur, S.M., presiding, and having with him ou tho bench Messrs. G. J.' Petherick, John; Smith, W. J.' Hclyer, G. Tiller, arid H. H. Ostler. " "The following transfers' were''approved:— Clarendon Hotel,'- M. M; Nathan to H." Dooly. (Mr. Neavc); Princess Hotel,"AV..E.. Brogan' to HZ Shortis (Mr. :Neave)'; White'.Swan 'Hotel,' H..Whelan to H. G'/Houldswbrth (MiC-Wih ; ford);-National Hotel, M/'Eydtfto K. Wilkinson (Mr. Neave). ':'.'•. !: y : , '''\''\.'' Speaking in'regard to tho'Hotel Ceeil.-Dr.' M'Arthur said that' Inspector Ellison, had' presented a report a little While back'stating that tho oldwooden part of tho hotel in'Charlotto 'Street was hardly r . fit for licensed' premises.; The committee lene'w the'premises Vwell','.and they were inclined',to',go further than InspeC: tor Ellison, and say' not 1 only that the wooden part was hardly fit'for licensed-premises, but . that, it was not "fiP'at; all. However, they wished, to deal fairly'with tho licensee, and suggested that Inspector : Ellison and tho Health Officer should view' the premises, and see-what_ should bo done. . ~. ;. , \ Mr. Wilford, who; represented Mr. M'Par-i land, licensee of the. hotel,",said: that the report was made after-the "premises had been .inspected at. the worst time of the day. This' was just after the lunch hbur^when-there-had not been time to,.have,the.,bar cleanedj.up.: The working men .from,-,the wharfi-• were;' in' the habit of going up,. to;.tlie-Charlbtte Streetl part of-the hotel ,',to, eat...their,,' lunches aridhave a glass of beer, and after they.had gone the floor was always in; an • untidy state. froiri bits of food scattered about., The. licehsee'liad now adopted tho mcasure.pf. spreading sawdust' on, tho floor in order that the . place- might be more easily kept; clean, , but.,the if act -remained that though..,tho.-premises,'' might -.be' scrupulously clean at,, any. other, time of .-.the day, just after the.-lunch Jiour they we're bound to bo untidy.',' In regard - to .rebuilding,' it was purely a question, of .ways: and! means. He ventured to hope that■ theicommitteo'would not ask Mr. go to a vast expenseV thought that if, they, knew-thejnancial position as he did they would-not. .There,had been a- considerate diminution in. the bar' traffic lately, not bnlynt the Hotel Cecil, but in'the whole of Wellington. „ He"'asked'.;'that' Mr.. MTarland should ,hot .be forced at, the 1 ■ present juncture to find the.money for'ari'ex-' tensive work, "and ho.was sure that;any.rea-. sonable/alterations' to the building 'would,' bo made,' sir.ee,Mr.,MTarland,did ,not'.' desire, in' any, way ;to run'counter, to' tho ,cohi*nittee.' : Dr. ; M'Arthur: I do not. suggest that Mr.MTarland desires' to, run.cduU'te'r;,to the.'committee. He might go over the premises with'' Inspector Ellison and the"Health; Officer, and a report could then be prepared and dealt,with: before our next quarterly, meeting.' '■' ; .'';';| A' repbrt had been' presented' bv the Public. Trustee, in regard",to' the "Shepherds' ATmsi Hotel, and' Dr. 'WArthur' intimated thatV-.'the' 1 committee-approved of the course suggested in I the.i'report in reference to repairs,' etc;'. ", I" Inspector-Ellison reported that the' Princess Hotel had been renovated; ', but ; the building was one' of. the old. ones,' that'-wo'uld require to be removed in the courso of a'year or'tivd.'j -