HOTELS & THE PUBLIC HEALTH

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2169, 6 June 1914, Page 6

HOTELS & THE PUBLIC HEALTH

SUPERINTENDENT ELLISON'S VIEWS WEAKNESS IN PRESENT LAW A "TRADE" OPINION. Superintendent Ellison, of the Wellington police district, was seen yesterday in Teforenco to tho report on Christ:hurch hotels, placed beforb tho Chnist;hurcli Licensing Committee on Thursday by Dr. H. Ohessou, District Health Officer. Tho Stiperintendent was asked if any of the remarks mad© in Dr. Clies--son's covering letter could bo applied to the hotels in this city.

Tlio reply of tho Superintendent was that somo of the bedrooms in a number of the licensed houses wero lighted by artificial light only, but this a matter which appeared to bo outside tho Bcopo of tho Licensing .Act. In the modern buildings, all rooms wero we.ll provided with firo escapes, but in many towns —particularly in certain parts of Wellington—it was impossible to havo overy bedroom provided with an opening direct to the external air. Some of them merely opened l on to air shafts. In this respect they wore no worse than private houses in similar localities. _ In tact; many pnv;ato houses and. boardinghouses wero in a wqrse position than tho licensed houses ae regarded bedroom light and ventilation'. Referring to the appliances, Superintendent Alison, was in a. position to say that all tho hotels in Wellington had sinks fitted in tho bars with a hot and cold v/ater- supply, and with provision for running off the water at regular intervals. - Tho question of venereal diseases, which hod been mentioned, was quite a, side issue to the Licensing Act and Licensing Committees, . and was rather a matter for the Health Department to cone with. . . • ■ Commenting generally on the licensing legislation of New Zealand, Superintendent Ellison reiterated his statement, made before tho Licensing Committeo earlier in. tho'week, that tho legislation liad never been made for the benefit of the public' or tho decent retailer, but that the wholo trend of it had been in tho interests of the Prohibitionists or tho big nien, who had made a, corner in puiblichouses. As for tho amendments which had. been made to prohibit tho possibility of tied houses, it was clear that a coach and horses could be driven through tho lot of them. It was quite possible that thero could have been provision in the Licensing Act to benefit the publio in certain necessary directions, but the mattor had never received the attention' it "deserved/ 'As an instance of the weakness of the pro-' sent law, the superintendent pointed to Section 76 (1) or the Act, which says: "No publican's license shall be granted in respeot of. any house in any borough unless such house ' . ... • contains, for public -accom- ' modation, not less than six rooms, besides tho billiard room' (if any) ■ and tho rooms occupied by the family of tho applicant. ..."

Here there was no stipulation whatever as to light, or ventilation, or the size of the rooms. They might be mere boxes, and in many cases they were nothing more or less. Mr. J. H. Fairbairn, chairman of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, when seen regarding Dr. Chesson's statements, said he did not think the matters Teally affected the position in Wellington. In the majority of cases, the bedrooms in the liconsed houses were woll ventilated and provided with proper fire oscapes. Recently Tie had occasion to visit practically every hotel in the city and he could say there was absolute cleanliness in the bars, which wero all provided with hot and cold water. The introduction of the hot water service to the bars had been a splendid idea and Mr. Fairbairn expressed tho opinion that it would be a great improvement on the present order of things if'it were made compulsory in public booths on racecourses, and like places. In this connection he thought New Zealand was years behind tho times. In one or two of the city hotels, the public conveniences adjacent to streets might reasonably be improved and perhaps a by-law regulating this patter would accomplish a good deal.