"ANNO DOMINI"

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 134, 8 June 1937, Page 6

"ANNO DOMINI"

SOME OLD HOTELS REBUILDING NEEDED COMMITTEE MEETS Unfavourable cornmefat on a number of hotel premises, chiefly on account of their, age, was made yesterday afternoon by Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., chairman of the Wellington Licensing' Committee, when the annual meeting of the committee was held. As applications were made, he commented on many of the hotels individually. The Metropolitan Hotel, he said, was an old building. "The reports show that it is clean and fairly well kept," said Mr. Mosley. "At the same time it does not comply with the standard of accommodation for which the public are looking today. This hotel has; commodious bars for drinking purposes and very indifferent accommodation for the travelling public. The committee reported that the Clarendon Hotel was "a very clean hotel." . .'.'.. When the application for a publican s licence to be granted to Pierre Henry for the Hotel St. George was called, Inspector J. Sweeney asked for an adjournment until certain investigations by the police, founded on complaints, had been made. "It has nothing whatever to dp with the committee," said Mr. J. J. McGrath, ' appearing for the licensee. "It is purely an action of two' employees who tried to cause embarrass--I ment and trouble. The licensee is a most competent man who has just arrived from Sydney." The Magistrate: I don't intend the committee to be the stalking horse of any employees, or employers either, j Dealing with the application for a renewal of the Thistle Inn licence, the Magistrate said: "One of the members of the committee says it is a disgraceful place. I reiterate it is one of the oldest wooden buildings. It is time it was pulled down and rebuilt. The owners-ought to take the, bull by the horns and get the 30b done." Referring to the Shamrock Hotel, Mr. Mosley said the remark in the previous case applied with added force, and in addition there were'some remarks to make on the conduct of the hotel. "Regarding accommodation, this is a house that offers to cater for most of- the drinking public instead of the travelling public," he commented. "I don't say it should not have a drinking public, but. the travelling public are entitled to some consideration." "This is an-old place," said Mr. Mosley, when the application of* the Princess Hotel was called. "It.-is old. but it-.ls in a very good state' of preservation," said counsel, amidst .laughter. The Magistrate: --Well, it is holding together, so I suppose the.application can be gi-anted. The committee was not satisfied with the carrying out of certain repairs at the New Occidental Hotel, and an application in respect to this hotel, was adjourned till next quarterly ..meeting. ; "This is one of the buildings that are: old," said: Mr.-Mosleyv -in respect jof the Royal- Hotel, "and it is one -of thosethat have commodious; bars." '. Mr.- White, for the .licensee; pointed out:..that. it frequently'accommodated 'member's of Parliament, :who ■ came again,': '■■'.' (Laughter.) The statement, ihat it catered for the drinking public and not' for the travelling public was not really fair to the-; licensee. , It catered for the travelling public, and the travelling public came again. The. Magistrate: It is an old house and would better be replaced by a modern house. , : HIGHER COSTS. Mr. White: 'That would involve higher costs' ■.- .■. : ■ ' * "Does that matter?"..rejoined Mr. Mosley, with a smile. *. ... ' Appearing for the licensee of the National Hotel, Mr. G. G. G. Watson agreed with.Mr. Mosley that perhaps that house suffered; from the .common complaint of "anno domini." Mr. Mosley. said-of the : Commercial Hotel that his .remarks regarding convictions for drinking. after hours applied. , .;.. . , . ' "Strong exception," said Mr. Mosley, when the application regarding the Pier Hotel was called, "is taken by the committee to the condition of the outside lavatory. It is evidently 'in a ■ very bad condition. I don't want such a thingvin Wellington." "The application was adjourned till the quarterly meeting to enable the licensee to effect an improvement. - • •■ "The City Hotel," said Mr. Mosley, "is one of the old hotels, just standing up. But it is very*well kept under the circumstances." "The Clyde Quay Hotel," said Mr. Mosley, "is one of the premises, that suffer from 'anno domini.' . It is in the' class that -'have commodious bars and caters as little as possible for the travelling public." Ho recommended; a new hotel in place of the present Foresters' Arms Hotel,' which, he said, was also in the "anno, domini" class. . ■ . Strong exception, said Mr.. Mosley, was taken by members of the committee to' the lavatory accommodation of the Albion Hotel. ' The application was adjourned till the next quarterly meeting. The Britannia Hotel was described as being in very good order. A DINING KOOM. Mr. Mosley pointed out in connection with the application for the Imperial Hotel, that the place was used for drinking purposes mainly, and had no real dining-room. When counsel for the licensee objected to this statement, Mr,; Mosley said that some women were seen drinking in that room. "They were either friends of the licensee or his wife," said counsel. Mr. Mosley: Would the licensee's friends drink in the.'dining-room. It's rather, Unusual,. isn't it? Surely, this hotel can afford a better dining-room than appears to be the: case. He warned counsel that, the hotel must have a proper dining-room and. set out as such. , . Counsel: It is not a large hotel.. Mr. Mosley: Then it ought to be swept-out altogether. . The ordinary amenities of civilisation should be in a hotel. I don't want to. call it an alleged hotel, but-it seems like that. '. : The' application was adjourned, till: next quarterly meeting. , " "The Victoria Hotel was;one of the worst-houses the members of the,committee visited," ..said Mr. Mosleyi "It. is a good, site and capable of holding; one of the latest hotels in Wellington.; The upstairs passage of the present, hqtel was .described by the committee as ' being dirty. ' Unfor-; tunately, a number of women were found,drinking in the place/under those dirty, conditions." He drew attention to the lack of lavatory accommodation for women,' and adjourned the application for three .months to allow this to be arranged for. The comment on the Royal Tiger, was that it was kept "exceptionally clean." The Prince of Wales Hotel was numbered among those that should be pulled down and replaced by a new building. The Tramway Hotel was described as "very' good."