TE AROHA.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 156, 12 June 1886, Page 2

TE AROHA.

The annual meeting 1 wai held on Saturday last. Praient : Messrs Dobgon (chairman), Gavin, Lipsey, Quinn, and Mills. New Licenses. —T« Aroha Club Hotel (formerly British Hotel) : Tho§. Haywood applicont. Polic* report favourable. Granted. Ritohfeaon's Family Hotel, Te Aroha (formerly Robia Hood and Little John Hotel) : W. H. Ritcheson applicant. Polioe report farotu*ble. Granted. - , Renewals. — - Wftiorongomai Hotel : Thos. Lawless applicant. Police report favourable. .Granted. Premier Hotel, Waiorongomai : 6am. T. Smardon applicant. Police report favourable. Granted. j Palace Hotel, Te Aroha : JTas "War- , ren applicant. Police report favourable. Granted. Hot Springs Hotel, Te Aroha : A. A. Smith applicant. Police report favourable. Granted. Royal Hotel, Oxford : Frank Rose applied for renewal of accomodation lii cense. Police report favourable. Gran|ted. Lichfield Hotel, Patetere : Alex. Heany applied for renewal of accommodation license. The license fee in this case had been reduced by preceding committee from jR2O to £10, owing to the small amount of business done. Police report favourable. Granted on same terms os before. Commercial Hotel, Waiorongomai : Mr John Lloyd, late proprietor of this hotel, had recently surrendered his license, it being desired that the house should be closed. The committee were of opmioa they were not empowered by the Act to cancel a license solely on the application of the owner, and had telined to accept surrender thereof. Mr lAojil, however, considering he had done all that was needful by giving notice of iutention to close (consent of the owners having been first obtained) did so, and was summoned by the polioe for having* failed to maintain his horse in accordance with the requirements of the Act. (The house was closed on April 17th). The case was tried before Mr Kenrick, R.M., who said : The committee were correct in stating they had no special powers set forth in the Act with respect to accepting a surrender, still he was of opinion they were certainly at liberty to accept a surrender. Licensing Committees had no statutory power uuless at quarterly meetings, and the licence should be aut rendered at such meeting. He could not s*e that the committee under the circumstances should refuse to accept a surrender of the license, and he couhl only treat it as a surrendered one, and dismiss th# charge. The Committee decided to take no further action in the matter, but instructed the Clerk to. communicate with Government on the subject, with the object of dravtmg their attention to the fact that no provision was made in the Licensing Act to meet such a case. Transfers. — Te Aroha Club Hotel : Mr Haywood applied for a temporary transfer from himself to Miss Emily Jex. I The Chairman laid the Clerk had laid this application before himself and Mr Mills when made, they being the ouly two members of the committee ai hand just then. No Police report having | been furnished they could do nothitfg in the matter at the time. He had, however, considered the matter over since, and had very grave doubts whether they ought to license a single woman. He did not consider the calling a proper one for a single woman. Mr Lipaey said : This lady came amongst them as sent by a first-class firm, Messrs Brown and Campbell, who had spent a lot of money in making the hotel a very excellent one, and he was sure they would not, for their own sake, send an unsuitable person to take charge of it. The Clerk, at this stage of the proceedings read a letter from Superintendent Thomson of Auckland, who reported most favourably of Miss Jex in every way. *" Mr Quinn : In the face of the report just read, and recommendation of householders, I do not see any reason for withholding the transfer applied for. As t\ generel rule he objected to the granting of licenses to single women, but there were exceptions to ever/ rule. Mr Quinn then moved, " That th« application be granted.*' Seconded by Mr Gavin. Mr Mills said : He did not think the occupation a proper one for women. The firm she was sent by had nothing to do with the case, they would no doubt send the person they thought would make most money. In a place like Te Aroha they should try and keop the houses up to the highest possible standard. Were single women io be placed in charge of licensed houses it would create a twofold temptation. He had not the slightest objection to Miss Jex horsolf as the applicant, but would act in the same way in any case where a single woman applied for a license. He now moved as an amendment " That the application be not granted." Seconded by the Chairman, who said he did so on the broad ground of keeping females out of the traffic altogether, and not as against Miss Jex personally. For the amendment, the mover and seconder only voted,* For the original motion, Messrs Gavin, Lipsey, and Quinn voted, and it was declared carried accordingly.

The Chairman said as several licensees were present, lie wished to state that the committee believed that great laxity existed Ttith respected to complying: with the law. Prohibited persons and children were being supplied with liquor, It was a disgraceful state of affairs, and he would assure them thaf should any saoh circumstance coma withiu their power to deal with, they would do their utmost to hare the offending party's license cancelled. The Chairman said : At the last quarterly meeting au extension of time from I<3 till 11 Pm. had boen granted. The {licenses just sanctioned iff ere only 10 o'clock licenses. The Clerk stated the applications niado were all for renewals of ordinary licenses. Messrs Smith, Warrou, and Miss Jex made 'application for extension till 1 1 o'clock. Mr Mills moved, and Mr Qafan seconded, "That the applications be granted." The Chairman remarked he had uot changed his opinions on this subject, siuce last meeting ; ha considered 10 quiii late enough ; and had no hoaitatiom in sating: much harm and misery was occasioned by the§e late hours. He moved as an amendment that the extension be not granted. Mr Mills said : Whether open or not they would sell and did Bell, and they might as well hare the revenue as uot. Mr Lipsey : It is astonishing to me some of the publicans did not apply to keep open all night ; I believe it would be a benefit to the place if they were. Extension of time was granted those who applied for it.