LICENSING MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1932, 6 March 1885, Page 2

LICENSING MEETING.

quarterly licensing meeting of the Borough Committee was held yesterday. •Present:—Messrs Chamberlain (Chairman,) Kingdon, Bell, Harding, and Gird- • wood. The. minutes of tho previous meeting were read, and confirmed, and the police report on the four Masterton hotels was •read. In each instance they wero stated tohavolieen conducted during the past quarter "very well." The Chairman remarked that tho report was a very creditable one. An application for a transfer of tho Prince of Wales Hotel to MrsWaggwas granted. The Clerk stated that in May next a .poll would havo to bo taken under the • -local-option clause of tlie Act. •Ho was instructed to make all necessary arrangemeuts for tlie proper conduct of the poll. • . Mr Kingdon called attention to the prevalency of Sunday drunkenness. It was quito' evident, he .said, that there ■ was a sly grog traffic on that day. Sergeant MeArdle asserted that men' took bottles home, with them to their boarding houses on Saturday nights for •Sunday use ana that this accounted mainly for the Sunday drink, =' ■ ""Tlie Chairman said it would be difficult . to-prevent this. Mr Girdwood suggested that tlie publicans should be. informed that the Committee expected the Act to bo canied out properly on Sundays. He did not' wish to take any unfair'advantage of the pub- ' licans by arbitrary proceedings, but to obtain their co-operation in maintaining a due observance of the Sabbath; The Chairman; Do you.wish to move a -resolution, Mr Girdwood ? " Mr Girdwopd did not think one was necessary. ' Sergeant MeArdle asked for a formal resolution on this point. Mr Girdwood moved that the publicans be informed that tjie Committee expected their assistance in parryii)g gut the Act as fairly as possible on Sundays,. Sergeant MeArdle protested that the Act did not give the Committee power to make an order of this kind. Mr Kingdqn said there \yas a vast amount of druijkenesi on Sundays. Tho Sergeant; ' Did you boo anyono 1 drunk last Sunday, IVfr Kjngdon ?' Mr Kingdon i'l did,' The Sergeant: •' Then you saw more than three policemen did? Where did you ' sgothem? Mr Kingdon: 1 passing my own door.' - Tl)o Chairman thought tljo motjon was 1 aupo'rfhjqiis, as tho pultons wore woll awuroof tl)e penalty for a breach of the act. Tho mqtiqn wag put and carried and the meeting then adjourned.