CITY HOTELS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2165, 2 June 1914, Page 6

CITY HOTELS

LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETS BETTING PROBLEM ONE APPLICATION HELD OVER. ■ 1 TJie anuual meeting of iho Wellington Licensing Committee was held at " the Magistrate's Courthouse yesterday. Mr. W. G.' Riddcll, S.M., presided, find there wero also on tho bench Messrs. ]!. Fletcher, J. Smith. J G iv*!ii,iei, W. J. Helycr, and G, Tiller, With cim exception (respecting the Cricketers' Anns Hotel) all applications were granted. Tho Police Report. The Chairman said that the Committee considered that the police report showed that licensing .matters iti the district were 011 tho whole satisfactory, Thcro were, however, several matters regarding tho conduct, premises which licensees ought to pay attention to dUTing tho coming year, last year the late Chairman of the Committee bad drawn attention to t-fee fact that, in a number of cases, bookmakers were in tho habit of frequenting certain hotels, and had asked liccssees to do what th-ey could to prevent these people- from using; their premises in such a, way as to assist in breaking tho gaming laws. Yet, the Committee found, by the present report, that in a number of eases bookmakers still frequented .particular houses, and, though the Committee understood' that it was a difficult matter for licensees to take- effectual steps to prevent this, they nevertheless expected licensees to do their test io secure a. discontinuance, of what they considered a nuisance. There were one or two hotels against whica convictions had been recorded for breaches of the Sunday laws. The Committee considered that more direct supervision should bo ms-d-o over hotels in those parts of tho city where access on Sundays was easier than in other "parts. As to a,eoo-mm6» dation for tho public, there was one hotel where the number of rooms available had recently been reduced to below flie requirement of the Act. It- was only necessary to point out, that all licensees should be aware of these requirements, and the mere fact that a publican reduced his accommodation to i below the legal stipulation shewed that | lie did not appreciate his duty as a j licensee. • JJe was, moreover, liable to j have his license forfaited. Owners of j houses should see that their lease con- j taincd a provision allowing iheifl to j view the premises, awl the Committee I should be notified .before such altera* | tions in accommodation were made. I i Applications Granted. ! Grants were mads as follow 1 ;— New Applications for Old Houses. — Caledonian, 1). Sullivan; Commercial, A. A. E. Hardca.s-t.lts; Central, T. Fisher; Clarendon, F. Dob-son; Metropolitan, G. Mercer} Masonic, L. P. O'Brien j National, $. Hilton ; Now Zealander, J. 11. Tliiit-o.t-i; yfcr, 11.. Hunt j and l'rincess Theatre, F. F. Dakin. Transfers.—Clarendon. J. O'Mp-sra to F. Dobsoii; Piol", P.' J. Griffin to R. Hunt; and Princess Theatre. P. T Pedersen to F. F. Dykin. • Renewals.—Adelphi, J. T. Levett; Albion, P. Costin : Albert. J M'Donald; Alhambra, H. TVhelan; Britannia, C. M'Enroe; RiurU D. Dalteu ; Brunswick, T. Kingston ; Clyda Quay. C. A. Schauor; City Iteftet, F, J. Oakcs; Club, J. Dwyor: C-htrcndcii. ,1. O'Meara ; Cambridae, M. O'A'oiJl; Citv, J. J. 'Firth; Cecil, M. M'l'arlaud; Duke" of Edinburgh,' 8. Dwvc-r; Empire, F. Pool; Foresters' Arms, D. Buckley; Grand, J, deveri&ga;. Imperial, H. GoodwinOccidental, J. H. Fairbairn; Princess, J. Blleray; Panama, J. C. Mason; Post Office, M. M'Vinish; Prince 'oi« Wales, M. J. O'Brien; Railway, J. Dealy: Royal, E. M. Davey; Royal Oak, 8. Gilmer; Royal Tiger, M. . M'latesh; Shepherd's Arms, M. J. Brosnan; Shamrock. P. Rogers; Thistle Inn, E. Keener; Tramway, F. E. M'Parland; Terminus, P. W. Corby; Tc Aro, W. M, Nidd; Victoria, B. O'Brien; White Swan, M, M'Guire; -and Wellington, 1. C. Jansen. Wholesale Licenses for Ist June," 1914.—1). Anderson rant Sen, Bannatyne aiid Co., B. R. Collins, J. J. Dudgeon, J. A. Fraser, Oftllin and C«.» Johnston and Co., A. E. lvernot, A. I I). Kennedy, Levin and Co.,,liaory and Co., Murray, Roberts and Co., J. M'Hwraith, A. Maguire,' U: \V. Pmtw. • E. T. Taylor and C 0.., Turnbull and Co., Ltd., Wairarawi Farmers' Co-op. Association, Ltd., Wo-l-knann and Co., and T. and W. Young. Cricketers' Arms Motel.. With regard to the Cricketers' Arms Hotel, respecting which J. T. Foley applied for a renewal of license, . Superintendent Ellison said-that at the meeting of the committee m September last he had reported that this lio-iiso was frequented by undesirable w-emeti. Prior to the meeting of the' committee on that occasion he had notified Mr. Foley of his intention to so report, but Mr. Foley had not appeared at the meeting. He had, however, subsequently written to tho Press on the subject. Ho (the superintendent) was now. pro* , pared to call evidence te substantiate his report. Mr. Foley, who came forward, was i told by tho chairman that the police i report was in tho nature of an objeci tion against liis application. A licensee. was entitled to seven days' notice of . an objection, and the committee, not ; wishing to take him by surprise, i ; posed.to adjourn the matter till 2,1-5 • p.m. on Fridiy, June IS. / i Mr. Foky said that he was prepared i to co on immediate]*?. , Tho Chairman; 'Bill; the committers i wish to comply with the Act.

"You Ought to Know the Act," Some discussion occurred respecting ill© accommodation for rte pvsbtic at. the Imperial Hotel, Culm Street. Superintendent Ellrso'ii ski id that recent alterations to the bsiildiftg had increased the bar space, l«rf left iess room for strangers than was required by tlio Act. It was a small Imiidmg, and the whole of the ground floor bad been formed into a bar. This was one of the houses which showed the inadequacy of the Licensing Act. The amendments to the Act had iKrt, been in favour of licensees, or of- ih# public, but in favour of those vvlo Riado a. corner in public houses. The Chairman: "What is the position now ? The Superintendent: The hou&o technically complies with the law. . . . If a iiotel pays £40 a year lieenso fee, this house should pay £'500. And thera are more liko it. Mr. T. S. Weston, wlto appeared fw the licensee (H. Goodwin), explained that his client had made the alteration# complained of through igaoranoo of the Act. but when he had been made aware of what the statute required he had immediately rectified matters. The Chairman (to tho licensee): How loitT linye you been lwiel-lfenriifig? The licensee: About seven years. The Chairman: Then tmi ought to know the Act. You had better get a cony at once and read it. Tho application for rewwa.s of the license was granted. NAPIER COMMITTEE. (By Telegraph.—Pres« Association.) Naflier, .tune 1. At the annual nieothtr of tho Napier Licensing Committee to-day, the chair*, man announced that the «m»raiMo© had decided that at. the next niuiu.il meeting the licenses for the Claretnton and Criterion Hotels would >.«>!. bo rem-owed unless tho houses ivero rebuilt,