HUTT LICENSING COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4438, 10 June 1875, Page 2

HUTT LICENSING COURT.

Wednesday, June 9. (Before J. C. Crawford, A. Ludlam, Wm. Beetham, and G. Beetham, Licensing Commissioners.) The Commissioners took their seats on the bench at noon. UNOPPOSED LICENSES. There being no opposition, licenses were formally granted in the following cases :—Railway Hotel, Lower Hutt, N. "Valentine ; < Family Hotel, John Walkley ; Kailway Hotel, Upper Hutt, Isaac Wilkins ; Albion Hotel, Taita, J. H. Corbett. WHITEWOOD'S HOTEL. In this case no objection had been lodged,. but Mr. Ludlam, one of the Commissioners, stated that frequent complaints had been madfe about the house on account of disturbances created in the neighborhood by drunken Maoris, who, it was said, were supplied with drink by Mr. Lansdon, the landlord. He did not desire to oppose the granting of the license, but he wished Mr. Lansdon had been present to offer some explanation as to these occurrences. I Mr. Lansdon having been sent for, came into court and stated that he was aware there had been complaints of the nature referred to by Mr. Ludlam, but he would do all in Uis power to prevent their recurrence. The Bench warned the applicant that a repetition of these occurrences would endanger the granting of his license, but the explanation in the present instance being satisfactory, the license would be granted. TBAVELLEBS' BEST HOTEL. Inspector Atchison stated that this house was in a very bad state of repair and sadly in need of renovation. Mr. G. Pugsley, the applicant, agreed that the house required improvement, but he trusted the Bench would renew the license, as he had only lately gone into occupation, and would before very long effect any alterations that might be necessary. The Bench granted the license, upon condition that the alterations were carried out within three months. MUNGAROA HOTEL. The renewal of the license for this house was opposed by the police. Mr. Buckley appeared on behalf of the applicant, Mrs. Ann Collins. Inspector Atchison said he opposed the application mainly on the ground that the applicant was not a fit person to have charge of the house, which was a constant scene of drunke" / ness and rowdyism. In order to give tne Bench an idea of the way in which the house was managed, he might mention that on the 23rd May last a party of visitors from town went up to the Mungaroa, and called at Collins's, where a tin of salmon and a loaf of bread were put down for dinner. Drunken. ness and fighting were kept up all the evening by a lot of men who usually hung about the place, and these orgies were kept up till the small hours of the morning. On Monday morning, he (Inspector Atchison) passed in the coach, and saw the results of the previous evening's debauch, in the shape of several men lying about outside drunk. The management of the house was so bad that no respectable person could go into it. Constable Lyster supported the statements of Inspector Atchison, adding that there were no stables attached to the house, and that travellers frequently complained of the accommodation. The fact of the matter was, that Mrs. Collins had nobody to assist her in the management of the house, and that although she did her best, she was not equal to the necessities of the position, being rather an old woman. Mr. Buckley was prepared to admit that the management had not been all that could be desired. Mrs. Collins was quite prepared to make way for another and a more active tenant, provided the Bench granted the license. As a matter of fact, arrangements had been made to let the house to Mr. Mabey, who was present, and he hoped therefore the Bench would grant the license. Inspector Atchison had his doubts whether Mr. Mabey possessed qualifications for hotelkeeping in any way superior to those of Mrs. Collins. His "objections in these cases applied as much to the capacity of the applicant as to the fitness of the house, but he would not then dwell further upon that point. What he would suggest was, that the Bench should adjourn the application for fourteen days, so that the applicant should have time to bring forward plans for improvements, and give some guarantee that accommodation for the public should be better attended to in the future. The Bench coincided in these views, and adjourned the application for a fortnight. GOLDEN FLEECE HOTEL, PAKUBATAHI. Two applications for a renewal of the license for this hotel were put in by Walter Hodder and Frederick Hodder, father and son. Both were opposed by the police, on the ground that the house had been conducted in a disorderly manner. Before the applications were entered upon, a discussion arose between Mr. Brandon, who appeared for the father, and Mr. Buckley, who appeared for the son, as to which had the right to put in the application, a complication having arisen out of negotiations for the sale of the house to the son, which the latter had not completed to the satisfaction of-the father. Mr. Buckley contended that the son was the rightful applicant, as he had concluded the purchase of the property by paying portion of the purchase money. ' • Mr. Brandon denied that any such merit had ever been entered into, and that even if it had been, it was not completed. The Bench decided that as the license had been transferred to the father he was the proper person to make the application. Inspector Atchison then opposed the renewal of the license, on account of the disorderly manner in which the house had been conducted by the late occupant, Mr. Wag-g, who held possession up to about a month ago, when Mr. Hodder took charge. The accommodation, too, was nothing like what it should be, and it seemed to him that the condition of these country houses would never be much improved until the Bench insisted that the comfort and convenience of travellers along the road should be a first consideration with the landlords. Only two months ago two travellers—Mr. McKirdy and Mr. Stewart—called at this house between eight and nine o'clock in the evening, and asked for a bed, and even signified their willingness to put up with a " shake-down," both of which were refused, and they were compelled to borrow lanterns and make their way down to Collins's at the Mungaroa, where they at last got a bed after some difficulty. Not long ago a gentleman connected with the telegraph office was similarly treated. He could neither get a bed for himself nor a feed for his horse, and as a last resource he had to travel over the hill to Featherston. Coach passengers also complained that they had to wade through drunken men to get tothe dining-room. Matters were bad enough in Mr, Wagg's time, but since Mr. Hodder had been in possession they had got worse. A fortnight ago he passed along the road, and found i the homo full of drunken men, and in a dirty, filthy condition, with windows broken here and there. He drew Mr. Hodder's attention to the state of affairs, but on his return he found no change for the better had been made. The same indolent drunken class of men were hanging about the place, and the dinner put on the table displayed none of that attention which the coach passengers had a right to expect, the meat and potatoes being only half cooked. He therefore maintained that no matter what improvements were made in the house itself, the man was unfit for the position of landlord. Mr. Buckley submitted plans which showed that the accommodation of the house and the stabling would shortly be greatly added to, if the Bench granted the license. The Bench adjourned the application for fourteen days, in order that the applicant might furnish a more assuring guarantee that the house, and the management of it, would undergo material alteration. CRITERION HOTEL, UPPER HUTT. The police opposed the renewal, on account of the disreputable manner in which the househad been conducted. • Inspector Atchison stated that up to about a month ago the house was kept by Mr. Waldin, who waa constantly in a muddled state of

drunkenness. Becoming aware that the renewal of the license would be opposed, he sold the house to Mr. Harris, who no sooner accepted possession than he began by pushing trade to the extent of supplying men with drink who were already in an advanced state of intoxication. Evidence of this fact was supplied in the case of Sheehan and Gallagher, who were charged with robbing a man named Spriggs. Spriggs -went to the house about six o'clock in the evening, and remained there drinking until he became unconscious, when he was pitchforked into the road, and robbed and ill-treated. He (Inspector Atchison) had visited the house himself, and from what he saw, he was convinced the applicant was not a fit man to have charge of it. It was filthily dirty. Harris, no doubt, was good at driving horses, but he didn't, know how to keep a public-house. Mr. Buckley, who appeared for the applicant, said his client had just gone into the house, and not being used to hotel management, had perhaps committed an error in the case spoken of by Inspector Atchison, but he could assure the Bench that if the license were renewed the police would have no reason to complain of the future conduct of the house. Inspector Atchison suggested that this application also should be allowed Jo stand over for a fortnight, so that the applicant could place himself in a position to assure the Bench that better public accommodation should be provided, and a better system of management instituted. The Bench acted upon the suggestion, and adjourned the application for fourteen days. The Court then adjourned.