ANNUAL LICENSING MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1572, 1 May 1874, Page 202

ANNUAL LICENSING MEETING.

NGARURORO DISTRICT. Commissioners: H. B. Sealy, Esq., R.M., Chairman ; T. Tanner, Esq., J.P.; and F. Nelson, Esq., J.P. Clerk: Mr T. Gilpin. The Court sat on Thursday, 23rd April, in the School-house, Havelock, The Chairman said that a very substan* tial petition had had been put in against granting any licences, wholesale or retail, in the whole district. If the signatures represented two-thirds of the adult popu lation, no licences could be granted. It was therefore an essential preliminary to go into this question before considering the applications in detail. The Act provided no means of taking a census of the district, and if there was a doubt as to whether the signatures included two-thirds of the adult, population, he must adjourn the Court till the point was settled. The first of the petitions presented being attested by Mr H. Hawkeo, he was called to testify to its accuracy. He stated that he had obtained all the signatures attached to that particular petition. He complained also that a petition containing twenty-eight signatures which had been addressed and forwarded to the Clerk of the Court within the specified time, had not been presented. The Clerk said he had heard that some document addressed to him lay at Mr Gibson's store ; but it never had been delivered to him. The Chairman said that he could only take cognizance of the documents now before the Court. They contained 485 signatures. Did this constitute two-thirds of the adult population ? Mr Hawken could not precisely say ; but believed from his experience in canvassing, that'it did. The whole district had not been gone through, but in parts canvassed, the majority everywhere had exceeded the required number. Mr Lascelles here stated that he appeared in support of Mr Trask's application, and Messrs Lee and Cornford announced that they represented all the rest of the applicants. Mr Tanner thought it a very unnecessary requirement in the Act that females should have to state their age. Ho would ask the witness—Would not a greater number of females have signed if it had not been for this requirement ? Mr Hawken replied in the affirmative. The Chairman said the words " Full age" ought to be sufficient. The witness was then put to a severe examination by Mr Cornford, who, oh' jected t|iat the names q| sheets aud numbers of houses were not stated, The witness replied that though streets had been laid off, their names were not generally known, and that so far as ho was aware, the houses were not numbered. He then objected that some of the Christian nam™B were represented by initials. The Chairman and Mr. Tanner bo,th stated thaj: the'u§u.al signature of the party signing was all that the Act required, and was quite sufficient. He then objected that in one petition the word " publicans" was struck out, in order that the petition might include wholesale licences. Ho maintained that this vitiated the petition. The Chairman replied that though the form of objection in the schedule did not mention wholesale licences, the Act distinctly provided that the public might if they thought fit, object to them in the same manner as publicans' licenses Objection overruled. Mr Cornford then objected that the names of the houses and applicants for licences were "lumped" ia

the petition, instead of being 1 kept separate'. The Chairman said this;was in si riot conformity with tlie Act. Mr. Lee then look the witness in hand, and examined lain in reference to th" special circumstances attending a good many of the signatures. In one case in particular, that of a Scandinavian, lie maintained that the petitioner could not have understood what he was signing. All these objections were answered to the satisfaction of the Court. Mr F. E. Saunders was then examined asj to the petition attested by him. He estimated the adult population of the district, including natives, at between 700 and 800. He pointed out one signature as informal, the party signing being under age. Henry Browa who attested the native petition, was next examined. He is a half-caste, possessing a competent knowledge of both languages. He testified that all the petitioners fully understood the nature of the document they were signing. Mr Inspector Scully was then appealed to by the Bench, as to the adult population of the district. He was unable to give a precise answer; but he stated that the district contained from 350 to 375 houses, and he considered that the adult population exceeded 800. Mr Lee said the native petition was informal, and could not be received. The names and ages of males and females were not properly distinguished. The law had been altered so as to give the people a right under certain conditions to interfere with a private business. Such being the case, he maintained that they were bound, if they interfered, to do strictly in the manner provided. The Court stated that they would not reject the petition altogether, but merely those names—principally women—who had neglected to enter their ages. This would reduce the local number of signatures by 84. The Chairman held that the requisite two-thirds majority had not been obtained, and therefore they were not compelled, as they otherwise would have been, to refuse the licences. In his own opinion, the petitioners would have done more practical service, if they had brought tangible complaints against the (liferent houses. If they wished to purify the grogselliug abuses, they might have done a useful thing by appointing a committee to make such complaints. Perhaps in another year the feeling of the public against the granting of licences would be so strongly demonstrated that the Bench would have no duty but to declare the opposition of the people effectual. This not being the case at present the Beuch must use its own discretion. Thomas Reynolds, Exchange Hotel, Haveloch.— Mr Scully had an observation to make. He had no specific complaint against this house; but there were a great many cases of delirium tremens coming in from Havelock, and there were only two houses. In future a strict look-out would be kept. The Chairman remembered several such cases ; and the petition just put in, though unsuccessful, showed a strong public feeling against the houses ; and in deference to this feeling, he would shut up any house agaiust which there was a reasonable complaint. This course he had already adopted in one instance. If tbe Good Templars took such sweeping measures, they should undertake also to supply accommodation for travellers. If they started a good temperance hotel in any district, they would have much more reasonable ground of objection to the licensed houses.—Licence renewed. P. APHardy, Haveloch Hotel, Havelock. —Mr Scully said the same observation applied in this case.—Licence renewed. /. J. Kelly, Pahipahi Hotel, Pate-yahi.—-Mr Scully said travellers had reported to him that they could not obtain feed for their horses.—Mr Kelly believed this had occurred once.—The Chairman said there was room for great improvement in the way this house was conducted. The accommodation for horses was utterly defective ; the house seemed to be supported principally by Maoris and laborers, and the last time he was there, there was a very rowdy set in the long room. If no improvement took place, the house would stand a very small chance of a licence next year.—Mr Tanner could bear out the remarks of the Chairman.—.Licence renewed. John Hunt, Pukahu Hotel, Puhahu,— The applicant being ill, Mrs Hunt appeared.—Mr Scully made the same remark as in the Havelock cases.—The Chairman said that if any case of delirium tremens had been shown to have come from this house, he would have refused the licence. —Licence renewed. Richard Jeffares, West dive Hotel —Mr Scully said this house was not well conducted ; there were always drunken fellows about. He had also a serious matter to mention. A man named Nicol arrived from Auckland with £BO or £IOO, with which he intended to purchase land. He went casually to this house, intending to stay one night, and placed this money in the landlord's keeping. He was kept there ten days drinking, his bill averaging £8 or £lO daily. At the end of that time, his money being gone, he was sent to Napier in delirium tremens, and became for a time a burden on the authorities. He believed Mr Jeffares himself was an honest man, but was sorry to say he was seldom in a fit condition .to conduct his business, having given way to drinking habits. When he first took the house hehad greatly reformed its management, but latterly it was as bad as ever. —Application adjourned. J. 11. Trash, Farndon Hotel, Farndon. —This licence had been in a measure promised by the Petty Sessions Court. The building was not quite ready for occupation. —The Chairman said there were two new buildings very near each other in this thinly-populated district—too near, ho thought.—Mr Scully reported favorably of the applicant, who had previously been an hotel-keeper at the Port.—Licence gianted. William Goodwin, Raihoay Hotel, Hastings. —Mr Scully reported that the applicant was formerly landlord of one of the best-conducted hotels in the Province. —Granted, R. P. Giffard, Brightly Arms Hotel, Farndon. The Chairman thought that two houses in this neighborhood were not required, especially as one existed just on the other side of the bridge.—Mr Lascelles said the house was not being built according to the plan produced at the Petty Sessions Court. — The applicaut said it would be made go,—Postponed. A wholesale licence to Newton and Co., Haveloch, was then renewed. A new wholesale licence to H. Wills in the same district was refused, no necessity being Bhown, and public feeling being so strongly against fresh licences. The Bench then retired to consider the postponed applications of R. Jeffares and R. P. Giffard. After deliberation, they wore both refused. Mr Saunders objected to the licence granted on the previous day to Mr Maney, as the application was made in the wrong district, and was therefore, he maintained, null and void.—The Bench promised to consider tho objection.

PORANGAHAU DISTRICT. We have no report of tho proceedings in th" distrii t. We take the following from our contemporary the Herald : The Licensing Court for the Poran»,ihn.ii district rt.it at the Pearson Hotel, Wallingfonl, on Saturday last, 25th inst. The following Commissioners comprised the Bench :-H. B. Sealy, Esq., R.M. (Chairman), C. Nairn, Esq., J.P., D. GoHan, Esq., J.P., and Colonel Herrick, J.P. There being no opposition, all the applications for publicans' licenses were granted, viz.:—John White, Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, Porangahau; Margaret Hudson, Pearson Hotel, Wallingford ; Joseph Herbert, Bush Inn, Wainui.