LODGERS IN HOTELS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1930, Page 7

LODGERS IN HOTELS

NO ROOM FOR BOOKMAKERS

MORRINSVILLE, .June 16.

The responsibility of a licensee of a notel for the good conduct of lodgers was referred to at the meeting, of the Waikato licensing Committee., • In a report on one. hotel the police stated that a man who had been a boarder at the hotel in question from time to time was a convicted bocKmaker, .while a barman employed by the licensee was a reputed bookmaker. In fairness to the licensee the police otated that, he himself was not n betting man, and did not tolterate betting on his premises, Mr S, Lewis, of Cambridge, submitted that a licensee could not refuse lodging to anyone, in terms of his license, so that no blame was attachable to the licensee for having given lodging to a man who had only recently been convicted of bookmaking. Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., said a licensee was entitled to refuse lodging to any person of disrepute, and obviously a man who earned his living by book,making, which was an illegal occupation, must be deemed to be a disreputable person. The L icon sing Act was quite silent on the point, It did not expressly" prohibit the presence of convicted persons on the premises. A licensee might, as far as the Act was concerned, have his house full of convicted thieves, but in that case he would never get another magistrate’s certificate of fitness, and would consequently not be able to get his license renewed. “The Licensing Act, is a very old one, and might very wall be brought up to date,” added Mr Wilson.