LICENSING COURT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2719, 6 December 1881, Page 2

LICENSING COURT.

The quarterly Licensing Court for the Timaru, Levels, and Mount Cook districts was held to-day before E.Beetham, E. Elworthj, T. W. Hall, and H. BelQeld, Esqs., Licensing Commissioners. The Police Report on the various licensed houses in the three districts districts was satisfactory, not a single objection being recorded. . applications. An application for a transfer of the license of the Hibernian Hotel, Timaru, from T. Sugrue to T. O’Driscoll was granted. The Chairman said the Commissioners had much pleasure in making this transfer, and trusted the hotel would be conducted in future in the same satisfactory manner that it had been previously by the same person. An application for the confirmation of a temporary transfer of the license of the Opihi Hotel, Levels district, from J. Nelson to T. Butler, was confirmed. An application was made by Mr Perry on behalf of D. McLeod for an expression of opinion as to whether the Bench would favorably consider an application for a license for a new house near the Fairlie Creek railway terminus, if a good house were built. The police reported upon the application that a second house was not needed in the district. The same report stated with regard to the existing house that it was getting old sud dilapidated and a new house was required. Mr White stated on behalf of C. Wederell, licensee of this house, that he was about to erect a new one, and tenders for the work were to close next Saturday, Mr Wederell had not quite decided whether to build near the terminus or at the present township. Mr Perry urged that the Bench might in this case depart from their rule, and express an opinion, as the circumstances were peculiar. If a house were built at the terminus for hotel purposes, and a license were refused, the building would be absolutely thrown away, and yet if an hotel were not built there the travelling public would suffer, as the present house was three-quarters of a mile away it might as well be five miles.

The Bend) declined to express any opinion, chielly because they might not be the persons who constitute the Bench which would have to deal with the matter finally. Before closing the court the chairman expressed the satisfaction of the Bench at the very satisfactory report upon the houses in the district.