TEMUKA LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2059, 14 June 1890, Page 3

TEMUKA LICENSING COMMITTEE.

m McAteer call you a hypocrite and a it scoundrel. Other people were there, is I am positive you walked past the e, larop.post with Mr Fewer. Someone k spoke to you, and you went into the 10 bar. I was not in the hack rooms of le the hotel. it James Stewart, engine-driver, living is at Temuka, remembered the 23rd p May. Was in the Royal Hotel about 16 9 o’clock. Archie Peter Copeland ■e and GK Ramsay were the only ones I h knew. There were six or seven there, n I was not drunk at the time Mr Morton t, came in. I had only had two glasses e of spirits. I was asleep when the e constable came in. I had a kind of it rash on me, and had not had natural r rest for over a month. It was not s through intoxication that I slept, n There were several present who were t merry, and one commenced t> sing, e Only saw one drink supplied while I s was there. I was sleeping for not 1. more than twenty minutes or half an s hour. If any of the men had been e turned out they could have walked a down the street. a By Constable Morton: Did not 3 remember when you entered the house. I did not see you. I was not

The adjourned meeting of the Temuka Licensing Oommitte was held yesterday at the Courthouse, Temuka. Present—Messrs J. Talbot (chairman), A. K Allan, and A. W. Ensor. The clerk read the evidence taken at the previous Bitting, in connection with the. EOTAL HOTEIi. Constable Morton said that in addition to the previous complaint there'Were two other convictions pending against Mr Mc Ateer. He asked that this committee would reserve their final decision until the hearing of these cases'. .';• -Mr Cathro, who appeared for McMeer, objected. The license was only covered till the end of the month. The cases were not serious even if proved, and there were at present no endorsements on the license.

;By request the clerk re-read the police report on the houses in the town, and his special reperfc on the Bbyal Hotel, s cMr., ,Gathro submitted that the charges against McAteer should be heard irrespective of any now pending against him. Mr Morton's sweeping re port had not been borne out. He was prepared to prove that these men were not drunk, and further, that Mr McAteer's excitement was, by the evidence of his own witnesses, only caused by the constable's manner towards him. The report was a decidedly exaggerated one.

The Bench decided to deal with the ease that day. Constable Merton drew attention to whereby-'a constable was empowered to enter .licensed premises, also to clause 146, which provided that an.innkeeper should not allow drunkenness upon licensed premises. THe also said that the evidence taken at the preyious sitting was on oath. The Bench decided to bear the evidence for the defence. '■Mr Gathro called, Charles Olliver, tobacconist, who remembered the night of May 23rd. He ~w»s _ 'passing the Koyal Hotel. Heard a ; :man singing. Could not hear'it, at'any distance. Constable Morton entered the house, and said: "A nice low school you've got here ; a lot of low thieves and blackguards," I I -was standing just in front of the bar. Constable Morton seemed excited. ■ He called Mr McAteer a Hcoundrel. Mr McAteer told him that the people in there were jiOßtly honest men, and as long as they paid their way that was ■" all he had to trouble about, and that the constable's place was out on the atreet. Mr McAteer was not excited. He asked the constable if he had a right to enter the house at any timeCould not hear the reply. Mr McAteer came round the bar, and put his hand on the constable's collar. Mr Power then came between. Did not hear Mr McAteer use bad language. Was present at Mr Murphy's lecture Could not hear the singing or noise from Whitehead's corner. Eeplyiag to Mr Morton : Saw you walking along the street with Pat Power from Whitehead's corner. Did not see you come out of the hotel before you entered the bar. lam willing to : prove that Mr Power did not follow you out of the hotel. My memory is good, and I can bring a witness to support it. You were excited in my opinion that night. When you entered the bar you Baid, "You've a nice low school, here; a lot of low thieves and and you also said, "You're a scoundrel," I was not old to say anything. I was summoned as a witness. I said in conversation with you about this case that I did not suppose my evidence would make any difference to the police anyhow- I did not hear Mr

sitting: on the seat inside the door. I listened to a • man singing, and Mr McAteer stopped him. Copeland was at the door, Do not know King. Could not remember seeing four men round the fire. I might have sat on the seat before I went to the tableWitness desired to ask Mr Morton a few questions. He had been classed among low thieves and blackguards and wished satisfaction and meant to have it. The chairman did not think it advisable to go into the matter. If Mr Stewart was aggrieved he had other means ©f remedy. M.McAteer, licensee of the Royal Hotel, said : On-the 23rd Constable Morton came into the bar. I was taking to Mr Christmas and Mr Moore. I said " Good Night." 7h« constable said, "That's a nice low school you got in there, and yourself is a blackguard.'' You were excited, and I said "Don't expose me before my customers. Take the law/of me, or complain to the Bench.; I know you've * a down' on me, for you wont pass the time of day in the street. , I don't pay £45 a year to be worried by you." I asked him to come into, the private room and not expose me before my customers. I said " Are you empowered to stay in this door if I order you out." He said "No." 1 said "Then you must go." I caught him by the arm and he had to go. I returned and continued talking with my customers. There were no men in the house that the constable would have arrested if they were turned out. Can not remember that the men had been supplied with liquor in my house that night. I did not knew anything against Copeland. Had only seen him about a week before. I put Ramsay out five times that evening. I asked if there were any. police about so that I might give him in charge. Replying to the /constable: You were in the house previously the same day. Ob the 20th July last you told me that I kept a low house. You never came in without a growl. You said ,f You are nothing better than a—— scoundrel yourself." '1 he chairman asked if witness had reason to believe that the constable had a long-standing " down " on him. —Witness replied that prior to entering the hotel he had no experience of constables. 4 The committee considered the charge of allowing drunkenness had been fully proved. They would grant the license, however, as it was a first offence.

THE WALLINGFOBD HOTEL, Mr Salmond appeared on behalf of the applicant for a license for the Wallingford Hotel. The clerk read the reports of the constable on the manner in which Mrs Perceval had conducted the house while holding the temporary transfer, and also a report from Timaru, stating that Mrs Perceval was, in the of opinion of Sergeant-Major Mason a fit and proper person to hold a license. Mr Salmond said that this was an application for a new license, and none of the objections contemplated by the Act were alleged against her, If she had in any way outstripped the limits of the law it was through igaorance. To refuse her a license now weuld be harsh and stringent. Constable Morton said that on the 4th April, Good Friday, at about a quarter to eleven, he entered the house by the back door. Found two young men from Arowhenua in the parlor. One was the worse for drink. Two others were sitting at the table. The bar was closed. Had seen Towner about the house drunk. He was locked up afterwards for drunkenness. Towner had lodged a considerable sum of money with Mrs Perceval and had spent £2B in a month. He submitted that this was excessive.

Replying to Mr Salmond : Did not know if the men found in the hotel on Good Friday had been supplied I with drink. She said she wae trying to get them out. Towner was never riotous, only stupid. Had told her he must be annoying the other boarders. There had been no riotous conduct in the house irrespective of Towner. 1 he house was as well conducted generally as in Mr Coira's time. Mrs Perceval told him that she had given Towner beef tea, etc., and had tried to keep him sober, but that he went to other hotels and got drunk. Hardly believed her sincere in her statement. Towner

was last convicted on the 2nd June, and previously in April or May. Was not cognisant that Mrs Perceval had declined to have Towner in the house. The hotel was well conducted otherwise. Could aot conceive that a man could spend £2B in a little over a fortnight in liquor and board. The committee retired, and on their return stated that the license would be granted.