ROOMS FOR DANCES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 618, 24 August 1933, Page 6

ROOMS FOR DANCES

QUESTION OF CHARGE LICENSES MUST BE TAKEN GUT AND REQUIREMENTS COMPLIED WITH DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL Some discussion took place ,at last evening's meeting of the Rotorua Borough Council on the question of the holding of dances and subseription entertainments in rooms owned by private hotels. The mayor explained, apropos of a clause in the General Committee's report, that a complaint had been received from Mr. R. G. Marsh, to the effect that a dance had been held in the ballroom of Brent's Ltd. for which tickets had been sold and expressing the opinion that the council should impose the same terms upon Brent's Ltd. as they imposed upon proprietors of public dance halls. The general committee had considered the matter and had de- ! cided that if a charge was being made for these dances, Brent's Ltd. 1 J- ■» 7 - . 1

must compiy with' the ordmary conditions by paying a license fee and making proper provision in regard to fire exits and so on. At the time when the complaint had been received one function arranged by the Basketball Association was already too far advanced for any steps to be taken while it was also learned tha/t another fun|Jt$on had been .arranged in the ballroom for the fpllowing Saturday night, on behalf jf the High School Parents' Association. With regard to this second function, it had been decided J that as invitations were being issued and the function was really not a public dance, it should be allowed to proceed but that Brent's Ltd. be informed that if it was proposed to use the ballroom in this way, they must obtain a license and compiy with the neeessary fire orecautions and sn on.

Cr. J. Banks: That seems to ex- I plain it. They should not be allowed to sell tickets. ; The mayor: The attitude taken by the committee was that his room should be used as a privae ballroom j

toi" the guests 111 the house and no as a public dance hall. Cr. L. J. Bayfeild: Does that apply to functions for charity. Wil those be barred now? The mayor. If they charge, yes. Cr. E. T. Johnson said that in fairness to Brent's Ltd. it should be made plain that they were not using the ballroom as a commercial proposition. They had made it available frec. The ayor: That is so. Cr. Johnson said the matter also raised the question as to whether a person could hold a bridge evening or a similar function in a private home, if they charged for it in order to raise funds for some object or other. Would the occupier of the residence be compelled to obtain a license in these circumstances ? Cr. Banks: If they charge in it. Cr. Johnson: Then I think that is carrying the matter too far. The mayor said that it would not apply in the case of a private residence but where the function was held in a building which was used by the public, the position was diiTerent. Cr. Bayfeild: What about the sanatorium and King George Hospital? They hold functions there. The mayor: I think the room at King George which was used for these functions was made to compiy with the regulations and that chey applied for a license. This is not a { matter of by-laws but of compiy. ng with the statute. Cr. Bayfeild: Brent's could apply for a license. The mayor: Oh we are not debarring them from doing that but they must compiy with the requiremants. | The General Committee's report upon the matter was then adopted and the discussion lapsed.