WAIKATO LICENSING COMMITTEE.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 445, 8 June 1899, Page 2

WAIKATO LICENSING COMMITTEE.

The annual meeting of the Waikato Licensing Committee was held at the Courthouse, Hamilton, yesterday. Capt. Jackson, S.M., presided, and there were also present :—Messrs C. J. Storey, Ce >. Edgecombe, I. Coates aud J. P. J'ailey. Sei'gt. Stapleton appeared on behalf of the police, *nd the constables from the various townships were also in attendance. The following business was dealt with : renewal?. Thos. Floyd : Royal Hotel, Hami'ton. —Mr L. O'Neill appeared on behalf of applicant. In the police report on this h"tel attention was drawn to the fact that one of the bedrooms contained no window, and the only means of egress were through a skylight in the roof and through a door into a sitting-room, thence on to the balcony.—Capt. Jackson, commenting on the matter, said the committee were determined that proper fire escapes should be provided at all houses, and that a moveable ladder capable of reaching to the highest window should be kept for use in case of fire. —Mr O'Neill thought the easiest way out of the difficulty in the case of the room mentioned in trie police report would be to cease using it as a bedroom. The licensee signified his willingness to fall in with this and the other suggestions in the report the renewal was granted. The necessary papers being in order, the transfer of the license for the Royal Hotel from Mrs F. E. Hamilton to Thos. Floyd was also granted. Thos. Porter, Star Hotel, Kihikihi.— Mr L. O'Neill appeared for the applicant, who was unable to be present through illuess —The police report was favourable.—Granted. J. Smith, Commercial Hotel, Hamilton.—Mr O'Neill, who appeared for applicant, stated that the owners were willing to comply with the suggestion made by the police re new stables and outbuildings. Plans were now being prepared and tenders for the work would be called at once.—License granted. R. Guthrie, Waipa Hotel, Ngaruawahia —Mr O'Neill appeared for applicant. —license granted on conditon that a moveable ladder was procured. L. J. Harrris, Huntly Hotel, Huntly. —Captain Jackson stated that since last meeting this house had been considerably enlarged and improved, and it was now a first-class establishment.—Mr O'Neill, who appeared in this case also, applied for an extension of the license hour to eleven o'clock.—The Chairman of the Committee and the Police opposed the application.—Mr O'Neill said th 6 request was made in the interests of the general public. Huntly was an important place, and this was the only licensed house there. Entertainments were frequently held iu the town, which were attended by people from all parts of the district, who left their things iu the hotel. These entertainments were never over until after 10 o'clock, and the visitors who called for the ; r wraps, etc., were entitled to refreshments, and the licensee found it very bard to refuse the local people.—This matter was adjourned and afterwards considered iu private.— The request was granted on payment of the additional fee, £5.

John leddy, Ohaupo Hotel, Ohaupo.— Granted ou condition that the conditions as to proper fire escapes were complied with, a new dining-room and kitchen built, and the house painted.—The licen see intimated that these improvements would be attended to before the next quarterly meeting. P. LtQuesne, Waikato Hotel, Hamilton. — The police in their report stated that the fire escapes in this house were unsuitable, and suggested that a moveable ladder should be procured.—The licensee expressed his , willingness to remedy the alleged defect in the fire escapes ; but stated that his house was a three-storey brick building, and printed out the futility of providing a ladder which would be unwieldy.—The Committee took a similar view on the question of the ladder and considered it un necessary in this instance.—The application was granted.

The police reports being favourable the following renewals were also granted subject to the conditions re fire escapes being complied with :—J. Hallett, Ru,'lway Hotel, Mercor (Mr O'Neill) ; Emil Simmehag, Delta Hotel Ngaruawahia ; Mrs Corboy, Alpha Hotel, Kihikihi; H. Lewis. Te Awamutu Hotel Te Awamutu (Mr O'Neill) ; Jos. Bathurst, Commercial Hotel Te Awamutu (Mr O'Neill) W. J. Smith, Harbour View Hotel, Raglan;- H. Rowland?, Royal Hotel Raglou; W. Bright, Hamiltou Hotel Hamilton (Mr O'Neill); R. Spencer, Frankton Hotel, Frank ton Junctionaccommodation licenses.

The following renewals for accommodation licenses were also granted:—Mrs J.me Finch, Alexandra Hotel (Pirongia) (Mr O'Neill) ; T. E. Smith. Bay View Hotel Kaiawa, Miranda, (Mr O'Neill); Mrs Lovell Taupiri Hotel Taupiri; T. Wilson, Hot Springs Hotel Waingaro ; Walter Reid, Royal Mail Hotel Rangiriii; W. Geach, Whatawhata Hotel Whatawhata.