LICENSING BENCH.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2175, 13 June 1914, Page 8

LICENSING BENCH.

SPECIAL MEETING

THE CRICKETER'S ARMS HOTEL

A specml meeting ol the Wellington Licensing (,strtiuniuc« was held yesterday to consider an application by J. F. IMoy for renewal <if bis license of t'ao Ci'k'kctcr's Arnii B-otel, Vivian Street. Mr. \V, G, Riekieil, 0.M., presided, and tliero were ulso oil tlm heiicii Messrs. It. W. J. ifciye-r, it. Tiilci', and J. Smith.

At tlie arniaal ftrcctina of the camrnjltco on Juno 1 Superintendent EliiSott said that _»t the meeting ol tl» committee jn September last lie had reported that Qii'S hauso was frequented by undesirable women,, Prior to the meeting of the committco in (September bo bad notified Mr. Foley of jais iitten* tioii to so report, but Mr, Foley had not appeared at the meeting. Ml. D'oley had, bmvever, subsequently written to t!i» Press on the subjoct. ■ 'I'lift supe-r----liitendflnt was prepared to call evidence' to snbsfauvtui.te Ins report. In consequence of this statement, the committee adjourned the matter from the annual meeting till yesterday, the chairman observing that a licensee waft entitled to seven days' notice of a.ii. objection, and that tho jxiliero report was jn tlio nature of an objection.

W liGii tko committeo -refisseniMc4 in tbo Mfif-b Infos Oo'drt yesterday afteriioon, Mr, J. J. M'Graiii shk! that ho appeared to ask for ihm rQUowal of tlie license. . Jn-om the legal aspect, ho added, the proceedings iv-ere iniaiwi illegally before the Licci>siti% Committee. The 'Clu'iirnmii: The position is that tiio procoodings wore adjo&m&d,

Mr. M'Gr&tli: Was there any autliMifcy to adjourn the proceedings? Was there any objection to the renewal oi : the fieeusfc?

Counsel went on to say that as notice ef objection had not been givea seven days prior to the date fixed for the annual meeting of the e-gmmitteo iio ob* jestion could be taken to the renewal of tho licoiise.

31f. Riddell reniied thai nothingjcortid bo sustained tinder the heading of "objectwfl," but that H report could be lii.ade (in tho conduct of the house.

Mr, M'Gratk said that'the Act set out that the licensee liad a right to renewal, e-seopting in tho ease where 'olijecfckm was taken under Scctio# 109. As no objection hrid been taken trader that soctKM the committee was obliged to grant the license. _ Coi'.tim'ihig, he <il«er<'t:d tharfc the Police Offcncas Act made ainpb provision against effeliccs «f the nature complained of, tat that wo proceedings had been taken ui'.dfr tljat statute.

Mr. ittddell: Tfcwd is somctliing more than you mention. Mr. M'Gi'aMi. On four occasions persons have been convicted for being on the premises on Sundays..

' Mr. M'telh: That is hot a.tt objeetiou 't« i h,> licetise, and the fact that the peopk l were illegally oil tl® protakes oil Sundays may not have been the fault of the licensee.

I Mr. M'Grrth stated that tlio Ireei'i-Sec [denied Superintendent Ellison's Mate;in wit. that lie had not been present at tho September meeting el the eonrtiiitieftj He wis (ho said) in attendaiu'e, but his case Was disposed of so quickly that ho littd no Urar t<* say an.vtlrittg. Supcriiiteistlent Hlisoii saifl that Section 80 .of the Act required him !o mnlw ft report, ca the laianner in which tho house- hail been condtiettti. did noli propose to make any olijeotiofi to thi? rciiPH'si.t of tlio licftnsej but ho wished to Siave evidence called to prove the iitith ef his rejiort oil the heitsß,-> The Obairttutn: T don't, titinlv that yon slvouid be called upon to do that> Superintendent, Yen are Tiofc on trial.

Tito Superintendent; Weli, it in tlifi fntur-e I er any other policeman wished to take ah ebieetion to the liccjKfqj «b----taining a license the excuse might be made that there had Mover previously Wen ain'thmn: against him. Mr. ftiddeli: the Beneh treat the nolieo report as liiinft-fide. If a liee.iiseo has remarks fif that kirn! ?nfido about him it. is for him to da all things in his power to conduct ins house on better lines. Iw the case of an ofejectien to renewal of license proper iwtiee must be given. No notice has been pjveil here, and the. Siipori'HteiidcMt states that ins reiierr was not in the Mature of all obfecioii. The committee, will grant the license.