EGMONT LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 7 December 1907, Page 2

EGMONT LICENSING COMMITTEE.

The Egmont Licensing Committee hell its quarterly meeting yesterday. Present: Messrs. 11. S. Kitzherbert, S.JT. (chairman), W. H. McDonald, I'igott, Thomson, Stott, and Stubbs.

Cpon the application of Jlr. Gray, a leriuani'iit transfer of the license of the Tariki Hotel was granted from 11. F. Cameron to T. 11. Sims. Jlr. Townscnd applied for a permanent transfer of the license of the Bridge Hotel at Waitara to John Bertie. Jlr. Qiiilliani appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of the mortgagee*. Constable Price reported: " The police are not at all satisfied with the manner in which the temporary licensee Ims been conducting his business since he took over the hotel about the Ist September last. The house has been run on very loose lines. The licensee appears to me to be either under the influence of liquor

or not responsible for his actions, 1 have noticed that since he took charge of the house young men who have never frequented the hotel before have been seen under the influence of drink. All the larrikins and natives are allowed to do as they like. The only point in his favour is that lie closes up sharp at 1(1 p.m. I have reason to suspect him of supplying prohibited persons with liquor, but unfortunately I have no proof. On the morning of the Ist September I watched the house from 5.30 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. On the 4th I again watched, and saw two natives enter the hotel at 5.45 a.m. On this date the licensee was,

1 am sure, under the iniluencc of drink. On .Sunday, November 13th, the barmaid and some men boarders were singing comic songs during the morning and evening." The report also referred to the recent prosecution of the licensee and his servant in respect of alleged breaches of the Licensing Act. The Chairman said that on the grounds of the drunkenness of the licensee the committee had power at their option to refuse the license. But no specific charge had been laid against the licensee. The Sergeant said the report was a specific charge. Jlr. Thomson: The constable says the licensee was either mad or drunk.

The Sergeant: Either of those reasons should be sufficient to prevent the issue of the license. Jlr. Thomson: Yes, if proved. The Chairman said that the licensee should have been given three days' notice of the objection. Sergeant lladdrell said that in connection with another matter the police were in a position to prove that a Jfaori had gone into this hotel at 3 o'clock ill the afternoon, emerging later in Die evening drunk. He was afterwards found dead, having fallen from his horse. After some further argument between the Chairman and the Sergeant, Mr. Fit/herbert said the committee did not need to be told of its responsibilities, and was prepared to consider the police report and to act upon it. He wanted to know what stand the police were taking up—whether they were formulating a personal objection or merely leaving the report for the committee to act upon. In the former case it would be necessary to call evidence, and that the transferee should have had three days' notice of the objection. Sergeant lladdrell said the licensee had had his report for ten days. It was open to the committee to treat the police from cither point of view mentioned by the chairman. .Mr. Fitzherbert said that was not so. Thi' thing must proceed in proper order. Sergeant lladdrell: Well, we object to the man having the license. The Chairman: On what are your objections based? Sergeant lladdrell: You can see it in the report. The Chairman: But it should have been set out.

Sergeant Ifaddrell said his objection was that the licensee had been drunk on a certain day and bad not conducted the house properly. A member: Then why wasn't he arrested for drunkenness? Constable Price: T couldn't arrest liini practically in his own lumse. The Chairman said the police would have to prove that the licensee was of drunken habits.After further discussion, Constable Price was sworn. He stated that on Monday, 4th November, he saw the licensee under the influence of drink. He had said to witness that he (Bertie) had to go to Wellington, and it was witness' <1 d fault that he had to go. That was the only occasion upon which he had seen him drunk. The .Chairman said it was useless to inquire into every sentence of the report. There was this matter of the barmaid singing comic songs on a Sunday. That was a matter for the clergyman to object to. As for young men taking liquor now who never took it before, that might lie because the liquor in this hotel was better than elsewhere. Cross-examined by Mr. Townsend, Constable Price said lie had judged '':M'tie was drunk because of his actions, lie was not staggering. He was excited. He had kept particularly careful watch upon the house.

Mr. Townsend said tin's report was very vague. The inference was that the licensee had heen habitually drunk, lmt the constable was aide to swear to drunkenness on only one occasion. Then there was an inference of riotous eonduet by larrikins. Why had the police not laid an information? Despite the fact that the constable had kept a very careful watch 011 the house, only one charge hud been, laid, and that was illsupported. If the present licensee was not lit to hold the license, the police should have been able to prove it. 'J.he Bench retired, and upon the Court resuming, the Chairman said the committee could find no evidence in support of the charge of habitual drunken- , ness. In reference to the remainder of the report, the committee luu} coiue to the conclusion that it was mostly biwed 011 surmise, and, even if otherwise, they were not matters for the committee to deal with. The committee bad also considered the ijuestion of formulating a charge v»pon Hs own motion, but had come to the conclusion that there was nothing in the report upon which to frame an objection that would hold water. The committee warned the transferee that the Act must be strictly adhered to, and he must be careful to comply with its provisions. The transfer would be granted, '-Ihe police report 011 the remaining houses in the district was satisfactory.