EGMONT LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 7 September 1907, Page 2

EGMONT LICENSING COMMITTEE.

The Eguiont licensing Committee held its quarterly meeting at Waitara yesterday. There were present Messrs. Stott, ihompson, Btubbs, Pigott, and D H McDonald. In tile absence of the chai"-' man (Jlr. It S. Fitzherbert, S.At) the committee appointed Mr. Stott to the chair.

The police report for the quarter was very satisfactory. The clerk (Mr. W. A. D. Banks) reported that siuce last meeting the fridge Hotel and the Masonic Hotel at Vtaitara had changed hands. The only transfer for approval was that of the license ofjhe llasonic Hotel from W E tiiiintliam to J. McDuff. This was agreed to. A report on the various hotels was received from the Public Health Department. _ Some members of the committee considered the report could not be discussed at the quarterly meeting, but only at the annual meeting. It was decided to hear the report, • which stated that the Wnitara Bridge Hotel drainage had been satisfactorily completed. At the Masonic, trapping of waste-pipes, etc., had not been- attended to as required by the annual meeting. No notification had been received of compliance with the requisitions at the Waitara Hotel. In connection with the Inglewood Railway Hotel Dr. Frengley reported that nothing had been done to carry out the requisitions of the committee, and strongly recommended that the stables sublet by the licensee should be condemned as a nuisance. At Tariki the requisitions were being carried out. At Midhirst the licensee had more than carried out the requirements, but he was not satisfied with the work carried out by the owner, and he recommended that the requisitions be enforced in their entirety. The report concerning the Urcnui Hotel was very satisfactory. Mr. McDonald stated that the landlord of the Inglewood Hotel would attend to the various matters when the weather improved. .Some of the members expressed the opinion that the stables were not under the control of the committee at all. in answer to the chairman, Mr. Gardiner, sanitary inspector, complained that work at the Railway ('lnglewood) was not, as stated, in accord with the borough engineer's specifications, Mr. Stubbs moved that the Board cannot discuss (he report until the annual meeting. In explanation, he said the committee granted licenses for twelve nionths, and could not cajl on the licensees to effect improvements during that term. :

Mr. Gardiner complained of small bedriKiina being overcrowded. Mr. Pigott told Mr. Gardiner that the Department should take action, and the inspector replied that he did not want to trench on the functions of the committee,

' The chairman said the committee did not specify the number of people to occupy the rooms. Mr. Gardiner threatened that if the committee took no action tno Depart■ii .-II b would. —^~

Mr. Thompson said the committee had no power to stop a licensee from puttin},' four bods in a room and any amount of beds iu the passage at "rush" times.

licensee of the Waitara J-tfTTT. said he didn't understand the posit inn. Ho hadfiny amount of room except on special occasions. There was any amount of spare room generally. Mr. Gardiner's senior officer had informed Mm he could use the rooms so

'"";.' as they were not Jet to permanent hoarders. His attitudoNippeared to be very contradictory.

On (he motion of MessriS., Pigott and Thompron it was decided to Mn form the Department that the cornmiHeo could only discuss its reports at the ! meetings. The committee endorsed a letter from the Wairau Licensing Committee (Marlborough) asking for an amendment of the Lirvnsing Act to provide that "licensing committees' requisitions for the improving, enlarging, and renewing of licensed houses must be complied with,