CITY HOTELS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2789, 6 June 1916, Page 7

CITY HOTELS

SOME ADVERSE POLICE

REPORTS

LICENSING COMMITTEE

Sozae evidence disclosing an'unsatisfactory state of affairs in connection witli the oonduct of certain hotels in the city was given by the police before the Litensing Committee yesterday. Mr. W. «. jßiddell, S.M., presided, supported by Messrs. E. Fletohor, G. Tiller, G. J. Petherick, and J. Smith,. The Chairman remarked that the police report on tho conduct of the hotels for the past twelve months was not wholly satisfactory. The majority' of the licensed houses, had been well, or fairly -well oonduoted, and the committee was pleased to note the faot. At the samo time & number of. the. houses had.not been conduoted in a way that commended itself to the committee.' The times-were rather abnormal, and it was difficult for licensees to conduct their houses according to the strict requirements of law. At the last - quarterly meeting of the Bench certain houses had been referred; to; and the committee was father disappointed, with one exception, to find that these-had not improved. The police .would object to renewals in these cases, and the Bench would decide whether or toe they snonld be granted. A Warning. "■! In the case of the City Hotel, a ronewot of the license which was applied for by M. J. Donnelly, Inspector Hondrey said that while ho had not made .'direct objection to the renewal, the house was not so . well conducted as it should be. There was not sufficient, supervision of the bars. The place was frequented by women of ill-repute, and drunken men were often Be on coming from the house. There was room for improvement, and he desired to warn the licensee. Mr. J. J. STGrath, for the licensee, said ' that the. latter had been convicted on ono occasion for permitting drunkenness on his premises,; the Magistrate stating that he had no option but to do so, owing to the wording of the statute, but ,was reluctant to convict. The Chairman said tKo. committee had : ; decided to grant the. renewal, but con- ; sidered the licensee should do his best to conduct lis ■ house 60 the police objection would not be repeated at nest quarterly meeting, otherwise the committee might act differently. The National Hotel. ■Application • for, a renewal of the lisenso of the above hotel was -opposed by ' Inspector Hendrey, ; who asked tho committee i to decide whether the applicant « (R; Hilton) was a proper, person to hold a license; On a Sunday night a soldier, wearing \ tho King's uniform, had been supplied with liquor 'while he 'was in a druiiken' condition, and turned out close op midnight. . He was found by. the police in a helpless state. Mr. Young, on behalf- of ■ the licensee, said that the Inspector's statement was H* ,a. gross exaggeration. The soldier' was living at the hotel, and had gone, out ' about 11 o'clock,' and got liquor else.where. He was certainly found in .a helpless condition. _' However,- tho licensee was fined for the offence, and had paid his fine. -..' The Inspector said that apart from the case mentioned and another one, there .was no complaint against the house. / Tho Bench decided to hear aU the evidence before granting the renewal, and the application was adjourned: ' '! Brunswick Hotel. Application for a renewal of the Brunswick Hotel, Uppor Willis Street, by T. Kingston,, was likewise opposed by tho police. Inspector Hendrey Btated that for the past three months the house, had been conducted in a proper manner. • Women of ■ ill-repute had been permitted to remain on the premises longer than was needful , _' _to get a drink: j The result was the soldiers frequonted the house, which had. become a nuisance rather than a convenience to the locality. However, since the warning given by tho Bench at last ' quarterly meeting the conduct of the house had greatly improved.: The licensee had decided not to serve women with -liquor to consume on tho premises. Tho Inspector was willing to withdraw his objection, subject to the committee agreeing. Mr. 0. N. ■ Bcere, on behalf of applicant, promised that tho improvement effected would be maintained if the rc--newal were granted. - ■ - The Chairman said the-license would be granted, as it appeared that applicant had decided to take the warning given him. The committee desired : tho improve--mentto continue. If it. did not the licensee would have only;himself to blame if the committee took further aotion. A Bad. Repwt. J. J. Firth, for whom Mr. Skerrett, K-.C., appeared, applied for a renewal of liis license in Tespect of the Albion Hotel. The police objected, alleging that the house was the resort of women of ill: fame, also.thieves and,6ly grog-sellers. V Evidence was given by Sergeant Wilcox, who stated that the. house was frequented i by a f low class of' people. A great number of women of disreputable character and Teputed thieves were to. be found on the premises. There were frequent dis--1 turlauces in and around tho hotel. The police' had frequently to eject unen who ; were in. a half-drunken stato from tho liouse. The licensee had been convicted for allowing drunkenness on the premises. Ho seemed- to resent being spoken to by the polico as to his conduct of the house. To Mr. Skerrett: He recognised that there should bo hotels for every claßs in the community. : He did dispute the fact that women of a certain class had a right to bo served with liquor. Ho considered it was wrong to allow such ■ women to remain in a room and attract soldiers and other men. The safest course would bo to refuso to supply these womon altogether. Mr. Skerrett said the charge of selling liquor to women of ill-repute was a.serious one, especially at tho present time. Tho licensee was prepared to close up the room frequented by women, and to avoid serving women who came -alone.'' It was difficult to tell when a woman was a bad character, and a discretion must be allowed to tho licensee. He thought somo teneral regulation should be laid down y the committee in regard to the serving of these women with liquor. During his sixteen years' experience as an hotelkeeper, Mr. Firth had been prosecuted once only. Inspector Hendrey said he did not rely solely on the evidence given. He regarded , tho licensee as not being a proper person to hold a license. James Fitzpatrick, police sergeant, said that the hotel was frequented by a low class of mon, including sly grog-sellers and thieves, who were not only allowed ou the premises, but permitted to remain there. Women had been frequently seen in'the house when the bar was full of civilians and soldiens. Witness had spoken to the licensee many times,, but ho had done nothing to remedy the state of affairs complained of. To Mr. Skerrett: The licensee ought to know tho character of his customors. Ho had never proseouted tho licensee for allowing disreputable women to remain in tho houso longer than it was necessary to have a drink. Women were to be found in the room mentioned at any hour of the day, until some little time ago. If the room were closed it would imprqve the conduct of the house. ' Sorgt. King, attached to the Taranaki St. Police Station, deposed that on almost every occasion that he had visited the hotel he had found women in the barroom. On April 26 he found two women in tho room with a couple of soldiers. Ho drew the lioonsee's attention to the fact, and they were ejected at once. A serious disturbance had arisen in tho bar, leading to proceedings in Court. To Mr. Skerrett: The men mixed up in the disturbance were charged with a breach of the peaco, not with being drunk. They admitted themselves 'that they were drunk. To a certain extent the licensee was responsible for theso brawls. Evidence to like effect was given by Constables Revell, Marks, O'Dca, Black, Frost, and King. ; Mr. Skerrett said that tho main part of the evidence boro on tho locality. It was true tho locality was a rough one, inhabited by a rough class. A hotelkeeper had a very difficult task. He was not authorised to refuso liquor to a man

because ho was a reputed thief; nor could he refuso any man except ono who had already' had enough drink. The bar was the social club of the men who frequented it. This, class of hotel was necessary. Mr. Firth was prepared to refuse to supply liquor to women to be oonsumed on the premises. John James 'Firth, licensee of tho Albion Hotel, said; ho had occupied the house for fifteen months. Ho had been sixteen years in the trade. He did his best to. keop tho bar quiet. His customers were a difficult lot to deal with, and violent at limes. Undesirablo women were not allowed to sit down in the premises now, nor for tho last four months. Ho was prepared not to supply women with drink to be consumed on the premises, and in the case of a woman coming in with a man, would not supply her if he knew she was of ill-repute. ; The Chairman announced that tho committee had reserved its decision until Monday noxt. Clarendon Hotel. , The next houso to be dealt with was the Clarendon Hotel, Manners Street. Inspeotor Hendrey said that there was no proper supervision over the bar, the women of the town frequented tho house, and wero allowed to remain in the houso. Sergeant Willcox deposed that women wero in tho habit of frequenting the-sit-ting-room in. tho passage. He had often remonstrated with the licensee as to women being allowed to remain in tho house. Ho had found four soldiers and five women of doubtful character in the room. . To Mr. Young: Ho knew of specific cases of women being allowed to remain on tho premises longer than was necessary to obtain refreshment. He had not prosecuted, as it would bo necessary, to establish guilty knowledge on the part of. the licensee. . ■ Sergeant Fitzpatrick gave corroborative evidence. He said tho licensee conducted the bar in - a proper manner. Ho had often found women in the room who were known to him as bad characters. Tie licensee had been convicted for selling liquor to a -youth of sixteen.. Dobson,' tho licensee, was a strict publican, and witness did not believe that he winked at the conduct that went on in his houso. Apart from the people frequenting the room, and a bookmaker who hung -round tho premises, ho had no complaint against the house. Constable Black deposed. to the frequenters of the house coming out under the influence of liquor at closing time. Dobson, licensee of. the Clarendon Hotel,'said-he had been complimented by a constable on the way he conducted his house. He had instructed the bookmaker, who was a customer, hot to write or transact business on the premises. The latter lunched at the houso as a rule. If the police drew his attention to the fact that women of tho town, wore coming to the house, ho, refused to serve them. John Tanning, land agent, Manners Street, said he went to the Clarendon to lunch.' every day. Ho considered the houso was well conducted. Witness regarded the licensee as a careful publican. He had seen women in the sitting-room; thoy seemed quiet and respectable. William Craig, crockery merchant, Manners Street, said. tha,t part of his. premises overlooked'the Clarendon. Ho could see into-the bar from ono of his windows, also the side door. As a neighbour of'the licensee, ho could say that Mr. Dobson, so far as he could judge, conducted his house yery well, and was very strict., ' Further evidence on behalf of the licensee was given by W. Cayliss and Michael Tracy. The Bench reserved decision until next Monday, and adjourned until tho following day. - - ■