A KNOCK AT THE DOOR

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1065, 2 March 1911, Page 6

A KNOCK AT THE DOOR

ANSWERED BY A JUG OF WATER. INCIDENT EXPLAINED TO A LICENSING COMMITTEE. IBj Telegraph—Press Association.! Auckland, March 1. At the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Licensing Committee to-day, SubInspector llendry had a complaint lo make against- the licensee, Alex Johnstone, of the Occidental Hotel, Vulcan Lane, this was ot the absence of the licensee trom the premises. Oil one occasion only had anything regrettable occurred, and that Avas on the night of Sunday, January 1.1, when the licensee was absent. On (hat night, a boarder at the house, returned to the hotel after 10 o'clock, and on knocking at the street door a jug of water was thrown on him from an upstairs: room. The man complained to tho police, and on a constable returning to the hotel he could not gain admittance, although someone was there. Inquiries made showed that neither the licensee nor his wife lived on' the premises on this night. The wife had a residence in Parnell, and Mr. Johnstone spent at any rate Saturday and Sunday night there. Mr. Johnstone had been tho licensee of (ho hotel for a number of years, and there never had been any previous complaints. Mr. F. Earl, who appeared for the licensee, said the facts were not disputed, but could be explained. The licensee's wife was in delicate health, and it. was hot necessary that she should live in the house. The start of the house consisted of a manager, who was always present, and the licensee was responsible lor him, a porter, two barmaids, and a housemaid. When there happened t° be no boarders in the house, Mr. Johnstone's practice was to spend the week end at I'arnell. If it was a quiet night, he might spend Saturday night away, and at. other times spend Sunday. It was not against the laT. The objection was based on one isolated instance, and lie contended that the committee would not come to a decision that, Ihe house was badly managed. The act of indiscretion was done by one of the girls, but the inan got less than he deserved. On Saturday night he was bundled out of the house for very gross misconduct, and told not to come back. Tho next day he was allowed in to have a wash, but was then told he must not return. The man said he would, and did so after 10 o'cloek. Fnfortunatelv, on this night Mr. Johnstone loft tho' hotel, as there were no boarders. When tho man returned after 10 one of the barmaids happened' to be watering her ferns < on the fire escape, and seeing this man, who had been vel-y insulting to the girl, she could not resist tho -temptation to throw the water on the man. "And I "link, j our AVorships, you will agreo that lie deserved a bucket of water," said Mr. Earl. In regard to the fact that the police could not get in later, Mr. Earl explained that the manager did not know or the occurrence until the next morning when tho porter said lie had gone to tho door, but thinking it was. tho man returning refused to open it. Further, ho pointed out that the previous licensee had always had a hous-s .iway from the hotel. It was unreasonable to suppose that the licensee should snend every night in the h( «?l. especially in the case of this hou=e The committee decided to say nothiii" about being olf the premises -on this occa°sion, and all they .would sav was that tlie incident was regrettable, but was not likely to happen again.