WAIAPU HOTEL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1548, 2 September 1905, Page 3

WAIAPU HOTEL.

SIBONGLY CONDEMNED BY POLIOE.

At the meeting of the Licensing Bench yesterday, the report o( Constable Charles Mellsop on the Walapu Hotel, a* Te Bahui, was read. He declared that in his opinion the building was totally unfit to have a license, owing to ,the delapidated condition of the building and other reasons, The report was left over for consideration at the annual meeting. The constable stated that the premises yyere very old, and the timber more or lose rotten, especially the weatherboards, which could in plaoes ■f:e pulled to pieoes with the naked hand, most of the windows weri more or less broken, and the whole build Ing was devoid of paint, and in appearanci resembled an old disused barn more that anything else. The whole building con siated of eight rooms, kitchen, dining, room, three bedrooms for private use, and two ditto for use of the publio, one sitting-room, and small bar extra. Tb two bedrooms for use of tbe publio wore very small, about 6ft by Bft, with low eloping coiling about sft from the floor on the lower side, and. were poorly furnished and the papers very old and dirty-looking. The bedrooms for use of tbe licensee and | family were of similar size and condition. The public sitting-room was off the bar, kand was in reality a bar parlor. Apart 'from the very bad condition of this hotel, , there appeared to be absolutely no need ; for a hotel at all in that locality, as it was light away from any main road loadiog to anywhere, and four miles off the AwanniTe Araroa road. The old road to To Araroa went by the hotel, but it was now entirely disused, the present road being ■ only about half the distanoe. There were 1 only two Europeans living about four miles irom the hotel, but it was practically surrounded by Maori pas end kaiaugas, and the house was almost solely supported by Maori trade, and was, in fact, nothing more or less than a drinking trap for the Natives, and boiDg nine miles from this, the nearest polios station, and so far from • any European residences, was under' no supervision whatever. The Waiapu river . baa. to be crossed to get to it from Port > Awanni station, and that-very often imptMlloable at Ibid season <jf the year, .