LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2057, 7 December 1907, Page 2

LICENSING COMMITTEE.

usu il quarterly meeting of tile Licensing Committee was • Jie-ld at tile Court House yesterday, llie ehiiirniiiii (Mr. W. A. Barton, S.M.) presided, and with him on the Bench were [Messrs. C. Danton and D. Heii'hu l'ji.

INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Sergt. Williams, officer in charge of local police force, reported: Tlio conduct of business in tlio licensed houses within the Borough ot Gisborne lias (been good, and no complaints have been received of any breaches of the Licensing Act during the current quarter. On ithe 15th October Mr. John Walsh, licensee of the Lake-house Hotel, Tinir-o-to, nviis convicted, and his license endorsed -for Sunday trading. I inspected the W a erenga-a-liika Hotel on November 19th. The new structure is a -very substantial building, possessing every convenience. The furnishing bad not then been completed, but from what I could see that pant of the equipment'promised to meet all requirements. I was informed by the licensee -that the house would be ready for occupation and opened to the public in about three weeks hence.

In a isupplementary report Sgt. Williams stated that in regard tpthe British Empire Hotel (the -drainage nuisance had not been abated, the open drain in Hie yard and the defective drainage in 'the urinal being in precisely the same condition as when his last renort was furnished. COUNTRY REPORT.

.Constable Myles Doyle, officer in charge of the Te ICar-aka police district, ronorted: —Waercnga-a-hika Hotel: ,Erection of these premises has been completed, and they are now ready for occupation. Ormond Hotel : The improvements to these premises have not yet been commenced, but the timber is being got ready on tile ground. All licensed' .premises in this district have been well conducted since last quarterly meeting, with the exception of the Rangitira Hotel at Te Karaka, about which a good deal of rowdiness has taken place during the last two months, and during the bearing of an assault ease at Gisborne Court on November 19-tli the 'S.'M. had occasion to comment strongly on the action of the licensee (James Pebfcie) in not endeavoring to quell the disturbance: Ip a supplementary report Constable Doyle" stated that an information was laid charging Jias. Pett-ie, licensee of the Rangitira Hotel, with permitting quarrelsome conduct on his premises on the 29tli October last. The defendant was convicted and fined, -and -an endorsement entered oil the license.

Thepolice reports from the coast state that during the last quarter there have been no complaints against the licensed premises in their districts.

GENERAL. Prior to the sitting the Committee paid a visit of inspection to the British Empire Hotel, and the chairman intimated that the landlord and licensee had undertaken to remedy the defects complained of. 'Referring to -the convictions mentioned in the reports, the Chairman stated that they did not form a part of the business that day, but that they should be mentioned when a,plication was made for the renewal o: the licenses.' Acting on a suggestion by 'Mr. Barton, the Chairman said that now there was an efficient water supply, it should be laid on to the urinals of premises for flushing purposes. Mr. E. W. Nolan -again made application for a renewal of -the license of Mr. Geo. Priestly, Wacrenga-a-hiki Hotel. •Mr. Barton said there seemed to be -an unnecessary delay in the licensee getting possession of the new premises. The house to -his knowledge was practically ready -for occupation over a fortnight ago. Alia. Barton asked for a reason for the delay, as he knew -that the licensee was -anxious to -get in. The matter -of drainage of the premises was also brought up. Mr. Nolan said be did not know of any reason wby occupation-should be delayed. He gave an undertaking that if there were no reason, licensee should enter into occupation -at once, and the -drainage should also be -attended to. The application was granted on these conditions. Mr. -Nolan tmade a -further application for a renewal of -license to Mr. Cornelius Neenan, Ormond Hotel. _ -Mention was made of the delay in necessary building operations, which was ■attributed by Mr. A. W. Rees (for the owner) -to the difficulty in procuring timber. - Mr. 'Rees undertook to see that the .building would -be proceeded with, as soon as possible. By consent the application was further adjourned until tile next sitting of the committee on March 6th, 1908. Susan Wallace (Mr. F. W. Nolan) was granted permission to carry on the business of James Wallace (deceased), in the Turanganui Hotel. Mr. A. W. Rees, on -behalf of John Walsh, licensee of the Lake House Hotel, Tiniroto, applied for an extension of leave of absence, through illness, also for the reappointment of Edward Calvert as manager during such absence. The -application was granted.