LACK OF FIRE ESCAPES DELAYS GRANT OF HOTEL LICENSES

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1948, Page 2

LACK OF FIRE ESCAPES DELAYS GRANT OF HOTEL LICENSES

HOKITIKA, June 1. Ten hotels in Hokitika, two in Greymouth, and two in Blackball were stated to have inadequate lire escapes, at the annual meeting of the ‘Licensing Committee in Hokitika this morning. The committee, after listening to representations made by Mr M. B. James, on behalf of several hotelkeepers concerned, went into recess to decide whether the annual meeting should be adjourned for three months to enable adequate fire escapes to be prepared, or whether to grant licences to those hotels whose escapes were in compliance with the regulations and refuse licences to those which were not. The Inspector of Police (Mr M. J. Angland) urged that the renewal ol all hotel licences in Westland should be adjourned for three months to give an opportunity for the matter of ilri escapes to be put on a proper footing. Counsel strongly objected to all licensees being penalised when no written. requisitions had been .served and when the inspector had quoted only 14 C3S6S. When the committee resumed, the chairman, Mr A. A. McLachlan, S.M., announced that the committee had decided to adjourn until July 6. “hi the meantime, the inspector of police will co-operate with local body engineers and superintendents of fire brigades in the matter of definitely devising adequate fire escapes in such hotels that are still without them”, he said. In this way, it is hoped that well before the meeting resumes, some satisfactory arrangements will be well under way”. . Thus, all applications for issues and renewals of licences for over 100 hotels in Westland have been adjourned to July 6.