LICENSING COURT.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2259, 29 June 1881, Page 3

LICENSING COURT.

BANQIOEA. Tuesday, June 28. Commissioners —O. Whitefoord, Esq., R.M., (chairman), Messrs Cunningham, Boys, and Parsons, f Renewal. —An adjourned meeting was held to consider the application of H. D. Monk for a renewal of tho license of the Club Hetol at Rangiora, which they had been instructed to re-consider by mandamus issued by the Supreme Court. Mr G. Harper, instructed by Mr Loughroy, appeared for the applicant, and addressed tho Court at great length, contending-that Monk's interest was of a very trivial kind, that the hotel hod always been well conducted, ond that in tho interest of the owners a transfer showed be granted. The Commissioners retired for twenty minutes, and on returning the chairman said that they would probably have not taken so long to review the application but for the way in which Mr Harper had put the matter. If it had simply affected Messrs Sheppard and Monk tho Commissioners would have had very little difficulty in deciding, as these men would have received very little consideration. To those unacquainted with the case it might net seem a serious one, but the circumstances brought to light through the collision between the bailiffs were not creditable to either of those parties. Monk takes charge of the hotel under cover of a bill of sale to Sheppard, and obtains credit from persons in town, and when they obtain judgment for their amounts, the judgment upon tho property, which they believe is Monk’s, is found to be protected. Creditors are set at defiance, and, in fact, there is a disposition to set every one at defiance. Such transactions ae those referred to, he might say, opened the door to fraud and collusion with intent to defraud creditors. It appeared from Mr Loughrey’s statement (which they would accept from a solicitor as though made on oath) that negotiations had been pending for the disposal of the hotel, and they were now disposed to grant a license, on condition it was immediately transferred. The Commissioners some time ago had refused another license in tho borough,which might have been taken as in tho interest, of property-holders, and the owners of hotels had a right to boar this in mind in conducting their hotels properly. The Commissioners had to protect the public, and must protest also against publicans obtaining credit and meeting their creditors with bills of sale or the Bankruptcy Act. The Commissioners, before agreeing to a transfer, would have to be satisfied that Carpenter was not a dummy of Mr Sheppard’s. If he was to be simply a manager the license would be at once refused. They would not countenance a puppet who might go in to perpetrate a swindle on the community. They accepted tho full responsibility of their positions, and while they might receive petitions, these would not influence them. Upon the slightest complaint after what had been said, the hotel would lose tho license. With regard to tho police reports, they found these reports gave them less information than they wore able to gleam themselves. Mr Loughrey here stated Mr Carpenter was a man of capital, and that Mr Monk was placed in the Club by Mr Hadfield. So far as Mr Sheppard was concerned, he was paying 5s in tho £ and some of the small debts of Mr Monk in full. Transfer. —A transfer of the license from H. D. Monk to John Carpenter was agreed to bo granted.