TRIP TO TAIHAPE

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 23, 18 June 1952, Page 3

TRIP TO TAIHAPE

Business, Not Pleasure

(By

"Bonifaee")

Generally speaking the citizens of Taupo Country are not particularly interested in Taihape. To them \t is a place lemote, associataed in the minds of some as a stopping place for a meal on the overland bus service between here and Wellington. Anyone stopping there for a longer period is obviously there for business, not pleasure. It was strictly business that took a small select party from Taupo, Wairakei, and Tokaanu one cold inhospitable day of last week — Tuesday to be exact. They were hotel-keepdrs, representatives of licensed houses* in the Taupo Country. Their attendance was required of them by the Licensing Committee of the Waimarino Electoral District to render an account of their stewarship, and show cause why their licences should be renewed.

It is an odd circumstance, quite characteristie of the way bureaucracy works in a democratic country — this is New Zealand, not Russia — that of the five members of this particular Licensing Committee, one represents a locality — Taihape — that is definitely "wet,/ and the other four hail from Taumarunui end of the electorate, which is as "dry" as a bone, or supposed to be. This odd circumstance was brought painfully home to the hotel representatives when they argued their cases,® and were handed decisions which, to at least some of them, could only have been arrived at by individuals with no intimate practical knowledge of the difficulties hotel keepers in the Taupo Country are up against in regard to obtaining supplies of material and labour to enable them to make good undertakings previously given. Not only have plans to be prepared, but they also have to be approved. this is officially-decreed routine. And so on. All this eats up time. The Committee, it is related, met at 2 p.m., and sat till 6 p.m. For part of the time, while its members were enscounsed in an adjoining chamber, the visitors shivered in a room registering a polar temperature. In all, ten cases had to be decided. To cut a long story short, the decisions of the Committee, to take 3 as illustrations, were that the Terraces Hotel wa^ given a breathing space of 12 months in which to complete oertain structural alterations and improvements. The Lake Hotel (nonexistent at present), was given 6 months in which to prepare plans and specifieations and get going on the new building. The Spa Hotel was givfen 3 months in which to do certain specified work. Those who are aware of the time and energy expended by the new licensee, Mr James Birnie, will find this decision of the Committe rather puzzling.