HOTEL LICENSE REFUSED.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1921, Page 5

HOTEL LICENSE REFUSED.

THE BUILDING UNSUITABLE, CASE OF COUNTRY HOTEL. By T i> —Press Association, i'auranga, Last Night. An aplication was made at the annual meetihg of the licensing committee to-day by Mr. E. Prentis for an accommodation license for the hotel at Maketu. This was the license which was allowed tu lapse last year by the non-payment of the license fee after being granted to enable an application to be made for a license at Matamata. The application was then refused and the ease led to legislation last session aiming at preventing attempts being made in his way to transfer a license. The application for re-granting a license at Maketu was opposed bj the New Zealand Alliance and by the police on the grounds of rhe unsatisfactory state of the building and demoralising effect on the natives; also that the total adult population of the settlement was under one hundred. For the applicant it was urged that a license should be issued on the grounds of the popularity of Maketu as a seaside resort and that the native population had almost entirely disappeared. The owners also undertook to effect substantial repairs. The committee, after a retirement of one hour, decided it was impossible to grant a license for such premises.