Page 1 Advertisements Column 1

Lake County Mail, Issue 13, 20 August 1947, Page 1

CAUY’S CHOCOLATES i ALWAYS

"Influence By Minister Alleged Alterations to Hotel Bar Queenstown Issue Develops Allegations that the Minister of Works, the Hon R. Semple, influenced the granting of a building permit for extensive alterations to the bar of the White Star Hotel, Queenstown, are being freely discussed in Queenstown. Accordingly inquiries were made by a special ” Mail" representative. , The tacts revealed were; — (1) On March 4, 1947, application was made to the Queenstown Borough Council for a building permit to make alterations to the bar, and this application was forwarded to the District Building Controller, Mr. J. S. Jackson, Dunedin. Subsequently the permit was refused by Mr. Jackson. (2) On June 13 the Minister of Works, the Hon. R. Semple, wrote to the proprietors of the hotel, advising them that he had consulted the Building Controller, Mr. R. L. McPhail, and if plans and specifications were forwarded to the District Building Controller the permit would be granted. (3) The second application for the permit was received by the Borough Council on June 20 and was received by Mr. Jackson, Dunedin, on June 23. (4) On July 1, Mr. Jackson wrote to the Queenstown Borough Council, advising them that he had been informed by an officer of his department that work on the alterations to the bar had been begun. Approval for this work had not then been given,. and the matter of. forwarding particulars to Wellington to institute a prosecution would depend on no further work being done until a building permit was received. (5) It is understood that the hotel proprietor, Mr. J. E. Home, then telephoned Mr. Jackson at Dunedin, explaining that a letter had been received by him from Mr. Semple, stating that a permit would be granted. It is further understood that Mr. Jackson then rang Wellington and when assured there that the permit had been granted gave permission for the contractor, Mr. J. S. Butler, to proceed with the work. The most disturbing feature of the case appears to be that at the time when Mr. .Semple wrote to the proprietors of the hotel no further application for a permit had been made. It was not until some days after receipt of the letter that application for a permit was made to the Borough Council. While residents of Queenstown generally agree that alterations to the bar were desirable and would be of benefit to the town from the tourist aspect, amazement was expressed that work of this nature should be permitted with the present Dominion-wide shortage of houses. The alterations, it was stated, would represent in cost one new house.