LICENSING COMMTITEE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2555, 16 June 1882, Page 3

LICENSING COMMTITEE.

CHRISTCHURCH NORTH.

The committee for Christchurch North sat at noon to-day in the E M, Court, Christchurch. Present—Messrs Harman (chairman), Westonra, P. Cunningham, and Dr. Prins.

ADDITIONAL BAB. The following application for an additional bar was made :—Henry Allen, Golden Age (two bars) ; Mr Loughrey.—Granted. MIDNIGHT EXTENSIONS. Extensions to midnight were applied forns follows : H. Allen, Golden Age (Mr Louehrey) I H. Maonamara, Gladstone Hotel (Mr Loughrey) ; Charles Amyes, Junction Hotel (Mr Thomas) j W, Barlow, Brittania Hotel (Mr Thomas) ; J. 8. Wagner, Clarendon Hotel (Mr Button). adjoxtbned cask. Mr Thomas, on bonalf of Mr Oat way, applied for an hotel license to Kendall House. Tins application was adjourned from the last meeting; the house having been under the

'vine and beer license of the old Act. Mr Thomas only applied for a 10’ p.m. license, Uti pointed out that the applicant had only purchased the house about twelve months before, when there was no idea of the wine and beer license lapsing. Mr Button, on behalf of Mr Angell and others, appeared to oppose, and support a petition sent in. Mr Thomas objected to the petition being referred to. It was lodged too late, and was not before the Court.

The Chairman said that the Committee upheld Mr Thomas’ objection. Mr Button said he would appear in his own capacity as a ratepayer. Mr Thomas objected to this being done. Ultimately, after some discussion, Mr Button said he was instructed by Mr Angell, who was a ratepayer and resic. nt, to anpear for him. He then went on to say tbat a poll had been taken in the district as to the granting of new licenses therein, and it had been decided in the negative. There was some difference of opinion on the subject whether a license could be granted to a house which had possessed a different kind of license, but he took it that the spirit of the Act was that when the poll was opposed to the granting of any new licenses the Committee should not grant any. Again, the house proposed to bo licensed abutted on the Gladstone Hotel, one of the best family hotels in Christchurch. Mr Thomas contended that his learned friend was entirely wrong in his contention that a license could not be granted to a house which had been previously licensed where a poll had been against a license. Again, he would point out what materially strengthened his position, that there were only seven houses in the whole district, and under the local option vote no more could be granted for three years. By acceding to his learned friend’s request, therefore, tnoy would be reducing the already very small amount of accommodation afforded the public. He would press on the Bench that this was the only working man’s house in the district, and therefore should receive a license.

The Committee retired to consider the application of Mr Oatway, and those for midnight extensions. On returning into Court, The Chairman said that the Committee desired him to express their hope that they would be relieved of the difficulty of pronouncing on these extensions to midnight. Indeed, they ventured to hope that in a few days there would be an alteration, and a return to the old hours. They had considered the matter as fully as possible, and the decision would be that extensions to midnight would be granted in the oases of the Gladstone, Brittania and Clarendon Hotels. With regard to Mr Oatway’s application, though the case was a hard one, the Committee had no alternative but to decline it.