MANAWATU LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2211, 4 December 1920, Page 3

MANAWATU LICENSING COMMITTEE.

QUARTERLY MEET INC

The quarterly mooting: of the Manawatu Licensing Committee was held yesterday. There were present: Mr i. L. Stout, S.M.- (chairman), and Messrs R. Bryant, H. G. Hammond, AV. Mnrdmdi, J. 11. Perrett, and J. E. Walker. WHOLESALE LICENSE REFUSED.

11. D. C. Baker (Mr Cooper) applied for a wholesale license for Rongotea. Mr Cooper said that sonic years ago there was a wholesale- license in Rongotea, which was allowed to lapse, and they asked that this license be renewed. The Chairman said the feeling of the Committee was that it should not be granted, as (hey did not think it was necessary. Sergeant Fitzpatrick : That is the opinion of the police also. Air Cooper said that the Act provided that a' license which had been allowed to lapse could, at the discretion of the Committee, be re-in-staled at a later time. He asked the Committee to deal with the application on ifs merits, and the legal side could be argued later if neees-’ sary. The Chairman said the feeling of the Committee was against granting it, irrespective of the legal position.. which, in any case, was doubtful. The application would be refused. . BEN NEVIS HOTEL, TUR A KINA. The application of B. W. Bunberi v to transfer the license of the Ben Nevis Hotel, Turakina, to AY C. KelIv, was granted. MAXAWATU HOTEL, FOXTON. The police applied to have the license of the Alanawatu Hotel, Foxton, forfeited on the ground that a breach of the Licensing Act had been committed, in that the licensee had permitted an unlicensed person to be in effect the keeper 'of the house. Mr Cooper said he appeared for the owners (Staples and Co., Ltd.), and he understood that a sale had been arranged to a Mr Cook, of Wellington. Sergeant Fitzpatrick said that the position with this house was that All England held the license, hut Mr Wadley was a co-lessee, and (rouble •arose between them, with the result Ihnl England laid a complaint with the local police. Sergeant Fitzpatrick said that he obtained statements from both England and \A adley. which he to the Committee. In his written -Rilemenl, Charles Wadley slated, inter alia, that he purchased -the lease of the hold m July hist. The lease was for live vears, and lie paid £1,500 lor same, £450 for the furniture, 'and £530 fur the stock, and was also paying m per .week rent. He put £9OO in cash into the business. He had in 1 DIG been licensee of Ihe Victoria Hold, Eel one. His wife was alive, at that lime,.hut he was now a*widnwor. He did not apply for the lieen>e of Ihe Alanawatu Hold himself, as he was under the impression that a widower would not he grunted a license, and he therefore arranged with C. W. England lo apply for fame. He arranged to pay England £4 per week, and his wife £2 per week. Everything went on smoothly for about a fort night, but there had been friction since that, eulumiiuuing in both England and his wife leaving the hotel about a fortnight ago. England returned to the hotel with Constable Owen the following morning, and demanded (he keys, which were handed to him. He had borrowed £95 from England Since the (rouble about a fortnight ago, an agreement had been drawn up between himself and England, whereby England agreed to stay on ;i| (he hotel until he (Wadley) could obtain the license. He had written to the Minister for Internal Affairs, complaining about England ringing up bets with bookmakers, and had repeatedly told England to discontinue same.

hr his statement, G. W. England said that in June last Wadley approached and asked him to'join him in partnership in the Alanawatu Hotel. The partnership was in respect to profits. He obtained the license, and Wadley pul £95(1 into the business, and lie (England) lent him £95. After commencing business an 'arrangement was made whereby he and his wife were to receive a weekly wage, and he was also to he paid interest on the money loaned Wadley, and a commission on the profits for Ihe use ot His mime in respect of the license. He

; ;sk('d thiil Jin' agreement tic drawn lip, but Wadley declined. As lime went on trouble arose, and on November sth, Wadley ordered him and his wife out of the hotel, and took possession of the keys. He returned to the hotel that night. Next morning he took Constable Owen to the hotel and demanded the keys, which were eventually handed over. Prior to November sth he had gone to .Wellington, and interviewed the owners of the premises (Staples and Co.), and informed them of the position. Since . then an agreement had been signed up whereby he agreed to continue until Wadley could obtain the license. ’ In the lease his panic was mentioned as a partner, but the agreement since drawn up released • him from responsibility. He had bets with a bookmaker, but this was prior to the now Act coin-, ing into force. Mr Daniell said I hat as soon as the trophic arose England did his best to have things fixed up, and was, quite open about the whole matter. He had approached the owners, and explained the position, with the object of transferring the license. Wadley ordered England oft' the pre-'

mises, and England immediately went to the local police and put the position before them, and took very prompt., action to again get possession. His actions right’ through had been quite open. Mr England was a returned soldier, and through war experience was of a nervous temperament, and could not stand the overhearing attitude of Wadley.

The Chairman said that it appeared that the licensee was a figurehead, and had he known all the facts When the application for a license was made he would not have granted it. Wadley was not known as far as the Committee was concerned, and had no right on the premises. The house would have to he sold, and the Committee would adjourn the application for forfeiture of the license until the 'next quar : terly meeting, to allow of this being done. The Committee, before granting a transfer, would have to be sat-i.'-tied as to the bona tides of (Ikmicw licensee and the lease, and all other papers would have to be produced for the inspection of the Committee. FAMILY HOTEL, FOXTON.

Sergeant Fitzpatrick said he wished lo make some references to the manner in which the Family Hotel had been conducted. The police considered it had not been conducted in a proper manner, but they did not wish to ask that the license be cancelled, but considered that the licensee should be warned. The-local police had reported that men were frequently loitering about the premises after hours, and on Sundays, apparently waiting for a chance to go in and get a drink. The attention of the licensee had been drawn-to this matter. On October 3.lst (Sunday), Constable Owen visited the premises and found a number of men in a passage near the bar, and the constable said the licensee was about to open the door. There Was a general stampede when the constable appeared, Iml he was able to identify eight, against whom convictions were afterwards recorded. The police were out to slop ’persons from loitering outside the hotels. The Chairman said.that the licensees, in their own interests, should .-'CO that gien did not loiter about I he It would ho a general opinion that if men were loitering in the vicinity that they there was a possibility of them being able lo get a drink, otherwise they would not remain there. The ‘Committee had a sort of teeling that if things did not improve there might he less license- granted at the next annual meeting, and licensees would be wise to take Ibis as a_ wa ruing.