KAIPARA LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 June 1920, Page 4

KAIPARA LICENSING COMMITTEE.

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting ot the Kaipara Licensing Committee was held at Dargaville last week, Mr Hunt, S. M., presiding. There were also present : Messrs V. Trounson, G. N. Hayes, J. A. McLean, T. Bassett, and D. Finlayson. LICENSE RENEWALS. Licenses in respect to all the hotels in Kaipara were renewed, except in the case of the Kaukapakapa Hotel, and that of the Northern Wairoa Hotel, both of t these applications for renewals being deferred for three months to enable applicants to give proof of their bona fides in respect to fulfilling the requirements of the Licensing Committee. In the case of the Northern Wairoa Hotel lengthy consideration was given by the Committee to all the circumstances in connection with the undertakings of the owners to rebuild the hotel in brick, and the delay in the performance of the promose. PACKET LICENSES. Renewals of packet licenses to the river steamers Ruawai, Wairua, and Tuirangi were applied for. The Bench readily granted to the two larger steamers, but the sergeant of police reported against the Tuirangi's application, he alleging that the boat was too small for a packet license, the license making things generally very disagreeable for passengers. The bar was situated in a small cabin, and when the steamer was carrying a large number of people the bar was often the source of much annoyance. Mr Bassett :If there is no bar you cannot prevent men bringing liquor on board with them, and in that case the captain can do nothing. Sergeant Griffiths opposed this view entirely. He contended that in either case the captain had unlimited power in the control of his ship. Mr Bassett said he agreed1 with most of what the Sergeant said in respect to the Tuirangi. Captain Sellars said there was no other place on the steamer to put the bar. He said the captain had no control over liquor when there was no bar aboard. When men brought liquor in their pockets and bags what could a captain do ? On the other hand the bar gave him a large measure of control. Mr Trounson suggested that a remedy was a better boat. Captain Sellars replied that it had been a question of the Tuirangi or no boat at allThe committee then agreed to the renewal unanimously. In respect to the Northern Wairoa Hotel the police reported that the premises were not fit to be licensed. —Wairoa Bell.