LICENSING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 144, 9 June 1908, Page 2

LICENSING.

Per Press Association. Napier, Last Night. At the annual meeting of the Napier Licensing Committee to-day, E. Macdone)), Inspector of Police, i'll his general report, staled he «-iis pleased to he able to state that taken us u whole the licensed houses in this district had been', comparatively speaking, well conducted dining the year, especially in town. Indeed, lie had reason to believe that in tins respect they were second to mij other town in New Zealand. Arrests lor drunkenness showed ~„ Jm-reaSc, but some of the offenders hud been arrested more than once. One regrettuWe fact was still very noticeable, especially on Saturday nights,-which was .that a number of youths were to be seen more or less under the influence of drink, some of them carrying bottles of lquor in their pockets, Eigiity-five pro■iiibition orders were granted during the >ear, against 57 for the year before. *'fty prosecutions for breaches of such <>>'dcr a took place last year, « considern.,, e lnere,lS » on the previous year, pe ■son" I '''""''?,' t0 '"■' s0 ""-' ""1-rincipled /h m Kes ~,.; co,, "» u »'ty who lam Hitji liquor, some for the „akc of drink themselves. Othe.s did it Un far as the police here knew, there were no special arrangements in lU iy hotel i n Napier and the East Coast police district for women drinking, ami, with the exception of a few incorrigible*, it was rare to see any woman in a public bar, except some Maori women in some ot the country places. The chairman, Mr. S. E. McCarthy, S.M., speaking on behalf of the committee, expressed the opinion that licensees should take steps to exclude persons of low character from their premises, and pointed out that licensees were not bound to supply such persons with liquor, Hokitika, Lust Night. The Westland Licensing Committee to-day granted all renewals throughout the district, also a new application for a license in the town which had lapsed two years ago. An application for another new license for a building ju, •course of construction, and alleged to bo a first-class hotel, was adjourned till the 29th to enable one absent member of the committee to be present, 'flic chairman declined to adjudicate in this case in consequence of anonymous letters in the local press imputing to him and other members of the committee a personal interest in the licensed In announcing his decision, Mr. Acheson, S.M., commented very Severely on the , action of newspapers publishing correspondence of this nature. The whole \ matter was sub judice and he intimated ! that unless the names of the writers of these letters were divulged libel proceedings would probably be commenced. ' Wanganui, Last Night. ' The Wanganui Licensing Committee ' 'held their annual meeting to-day, when j all licenses were renewed. Compliinentary reference to the conduct of the hotels was made. The police reported that no women, save those of the unforg tmiatc class, drank in the hotels.