LICENSING COMMITTEES

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2622, 1 September 1882, Page 3

LICENSING COMMITTEES

OHEIBTOHUECH NORTH.

The quarterly meeting of the above was held at tho B.M. Court at noon. Present — Messrs B. J. S. Harman, P. Cunningham, B. Westenra, O. A. Pritchard and Dr. Prins. Tho Chairman said they would be obliged if Mr Superintendent Broham would at next meeting give the Licensing Committee hie opinion as to whether the closing of the houses at 10 p.m. in Christchurch had any effect on the reduction of drunkenness. Mr Superintendent Broham said that after seeing all the oases brought before the Bench every morning he could say at once that there was not the slightest diminution of drunkenness in Christchurch during the duration of the ten o’clock licenses. However, ho would make the report as desired by the Bench.

MIDNIGHT EXTENSIONS. Mr H. Allen, of the Golden Age Hotel, applied for an extension of his license time to midnight, on the ground of being near to the tramway terminus, and persons requiring to wait for late trams to Sydenham, Ac. In reply to a question from the chairman, Mr Allen said that plans for a new house were in the hands of Mr Strouts the architeot. The Chairman said that the committee would hear all the applications first. Mr Charles Amyea, Junction Hotel, ap plied for an extension. Mr Thomas appeared for the applicant, and pointed out that the loss to Mr Amyes had been at the rate of £350 per annum. Ho also called the attention of the Bench to the fact that just above Mr Aymes’ house there was the Carlton licensed by the St. Albans committee to 11 p.m., and below him the Britannia, which had a midnight license. So soon as Mr Amyes closed his house those who required drink went to these two houses. Beoides this he was prepared to put Mr Amyes in the box, to show that his family trade had been almost entirely destroyed by the ten o’clock closing. The Chairman aske-d Mr Thomas whether he could give any evidence to show that the extension would be for the benefit of the PU Mr° Thomas said ho would refer to the memorial presented at the last meeting. If the committee would not this, he could produce evidence that the residents in the neighborhood were inconvenienced by the closing at 10 p.m. of Mr Amyes' house. _ The Chairman said Mr Thomas, from til long experience of licensing matters, knew that a very great deal more weight was to be attached to memorials against than to those for these extensions. Mr Thomas was prepared to bring fifty residents of the neighborhood to say that they were inconvenienced. If the committee desired, he would put Mr Amyea in the box, and show tbs loss bs bad sustained.

The Chairman said that the committee were perfectly satisfied with .what Mr Thomas had said, and would retire to consider the application. On rtturning into Court, Tho Chairman said that the committee had considered tho oases, and had decided to grant the extensions asked for. It must not, however, bo understood for moment that tho granting of these applications formed a precedent for granting all and sundry who might apply. Tho Committee then adjourned.