ANNUAL LICENSING MEETING.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 16, 20 April 1867, Page 3

ANNUAL LICENSING MEETING.

The Annual Licensing Meeting for the Wairarapa district was held at the Court House Greytown, on Tuesday last. The Magistrates present were H. S. Warded R. M. and J. V. Smith, S. Carkeek, aud A. Reuaii Esquires. On the application of John Tuck for the renewal of his license for the Family Hotel Masterton being called on. The Rev. J. Ross and Messrs. Fiest, Bentley, and Harding entered a protest against the license being renewed, and the former read a memorial which had been adopted at a public meeting at Masterton, praying the Magistrates not to grant any licenses at all in that township. Messrs. Ross and Fiest ably supported the prayer of the memorial, and said that the people of Masterton were all but unanimously opposed to any public houses bring opened in their locality. The Resident Magistrate said that they were bound to respectfully consider any well founded objections which the people of Masterton might make to the granting of public house licenses, and they were also equally bound to consider the wishes and conveniences of the public outside Masterton. He wished to know whether the deputation had any specific charges to make against Mr. Tuck. A long discussion here ensued in which the members of the deputation and the bench took part, but no specific charge was made against the way the hotel had been conducted. Before a public house was opened Masterton was prosperous and quiet, which had not been the case since. The deputation were opposed to the existence and extension of public houses generally and not to Mr. Tuck’s in particular. The Magistrates retired for consultation, and on their return Mr. Warded announced that the application of Mr. Tuck for the renewal of his license had been granted. The consideration of the application of Mr. Jones for a license for the Sir George Grey Hotel, Masterton, was postponed until the Ist Mat - , as was also that of Mr. J. Thompson, for a license for a house at Featherston. A license was granted to Mr. Jennings for the Te Ore Ore Hotel near Masterton. The old licenses were all renewed.