LICENSING LAWS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1933, Page 2

LICENSING LAWS

REDISTRIBUTION OF HOTELS. < .

TO fINC’REAST TpUMBT.' TRAFFIC.

CHRISTCHURCH, December 9The opinion that a redistribution of rural hotels 1 would , help towards the' prosperity. df-New . Zealand and would increase the tourist traffic, was expressed'by'Mr John Uiiilei', -of John Fuller and, fSQns, 'iitdi, ,'iii a: letter addressed 1y ■ the president '-•of. tlie- • Clraihber' -bf IQ6mrtieree;..-'(inf ‘ A‘. hF '•.'Wright),., „ which WaK 'tonsidered at/a meeting of the councilof, that /’hody/laVt night.' /’• :}? f Mr fFuil’ef;, 'drefi >: -aitbiiiidn'ftp •. the precedent br.bv. Ta'rliainent ' 1 iri' .passing ‘ 'legislation providing,; for -■ the removal of an hotel '•licence fan ''the Bay of Plenty.; district ;to ,'a v . more convenient locality. •; He / stated that there' was a large tourist traffic from overseas wellas., 'internally, . ahd it. wasa sad reflection on New Zealand civilisation fwhend one'. considered what • people hacf? •to - ( put /up / with owing ao the present -.obsolete- licensing laws. - : = : -'V

“If : there uvas ' a redistribution of rural -hotels, ■’ built'; on -the. principle, accommodating -about 12 people, to"- places* that fSiiite'd .- th 6: travelling public and'-’'houriist^iu^.gyb-eral.” 3fi’ Fuller*, wrote; /‘it <, would h s’ p. towav:Tsthe :• Cge&Gjal*?prosperity of tliis' IcoPntry and’/wdital’d^cahsc-. greet ' of' employment:- :-! suggest that.,if' there was co-'ci'din'afiou ' be-i tween. ’ the Tourist the Trairsport' Departniontj-; ' aft’d*' the' Li* leenjfiod .Victiialiers’- , .‘i\6SPciatio:ii, .this ter- • i rib lev f>lo;t 'Ayhichy; uojy .iprevails', -would: soon, be ;a. thing (of :the,;.,pi®/1 /- I 'am',of opinion ’. that tourist, traffic 7 does -pro* 'mote, commercial .interest and this mat-; ter is ope that should be taken-up byi your association, V. •/‘Tike; for instance, k the hoi els in fireymouth and b West port, where so •many hotels are'- almost next door to one another in two .towns only. What a' difference it would make towards the prosperity of Christchurch. and - the Wes Coast in particular, if the-licenses of these- hotels- were transferred to places near trout 1 ' breams!” ' • I M,r Norton Francis said that while; thy. chamber did- not' take any side *•»' the Hiquor' question. ' that letter did not raise the question of - anyincrease in the -number'of licenses. He/suggestedthat the.” letter should ho sent to the jonit committee of the •chamber and khe , League.to see. ! f anything could, bb done to lm-l pivve the hotels / and accommodation houses in tourist centres which might, help to, popularise them. ,Hc' moved in that clirecti 031..: i. •:> . c ! ,j Mr T. N. .Gibbs -sapid.he tliought the -state Pflythe/hotel'sr>f- the Bo

minion left" flinch iOe..desiwt; T&« Avail notorious for,. ha'y* tng so many lwtele go close together, " In’New Bomk Wales there . was .an . .Excellent "system, by which a tax /was "'levied, bn hotels. A/ judicial committee.then ; bought'but and closed down certain licensed houses, paying icprapensatioit to the and generally put .thb hotel, business pn. a. satisfactory basis. ’. He thought it was a suitable sub- , je'ct. tp. raise at .the .present time, *• in view of the \ great step . that had' been 't||ken .iin.r Amtli'ica.; He. .would like to'/ see . something done to" put the 1 hotel's, 'iti-y£be ; Dominion/on ’a-, •'■ ■better .basis;,than;.,tbey/were; ; ' ~ 'V/Mr/'Mi Burns supported the motibh.'i Be ; said--the •lieeneihg, laws of ;I?:ew ; ; Zea;l'ani'd'fv.'e’re : due- for. ,a complete ;.ov'bfhaul. ( •;The; ; ' licensing; 'laws, in New 1 Zealand; hiad developed’,along their; o\vn peculiar dines. They were consolidated, he thought'! in 1908 ■ when ’there were sprite .12 -statutes .in ,existepce and since : then thefe ihad been eight or .10 amendment s. v The position was very ■complicated, -and the time’; was certainly "ripe foi>the .; whole ; of the / licensing laws to. be "• In fact, in 'ah recent, case before .the i judicial committee of the, Privy ■Council one of the 1 '- lords xoferred; to ' the, “legislative 'j jungle*’;'qf the' /New ' Zealand licensing i and; decisidns. /Mr .Burns said he! ■ thought/ Mr. “Puller’s “’letter; was-im-! portant in -that it drew attentiont9 •the 1 *nced-. for;. • clarifying > the licensing ■ andl.ibringihg " therii into line with ’blunges'* '’pccuiTbd "inv-: recent. ■ years.; _ y';s. •. " ' f: j 'The niotiqn was-carried. '