FEATHERSTON LICENSING DISTRICT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4362, 7 March 1893, Page 2

FEATHERSTON LICENSING DISTRICT.

Quarterly Meeting.

The quarterly meeting of the Fob* thorston Licensing Committee was held.on Monday in the Court-house, Featherstou, There were present: Messrs W. Cundy (ohairman), G, Reynolds, J. Donald, J. G. Cox, and W. flodder, junr. The minutes meeting were'read and"cKrofP ,^^ The Inspector's report was Vead. In the report tbo police objeotfd to the transfer of tho licence of the Victoria Hotel from i<. BiltoutoE. .1. Searl, on the ground that Mr Searl was unfit to bold a license. E, 3. Searl, on oath, stated that ell necesßary preliminaries re application for transfer of license has been made. To strengthen the objection to a transfer of the license a portion of tlia Police Gazette was read, which re* corded the refusal of a license to E. J. Soar), and blbo stated that the Star Hotel, Masterton, had been con» duct ed in an improper manner. Constable Cashion stated, on oath, that at a recent meeting of the Maslerton Licensi ug Committee, a renewal ot license hod bpen refused to E. J, Searl, and the meeting bad been adjourned twenty-ono days to enable Searl to soil out, The bouse waß the worst-conducted he had ever Been. It was impossible to get a conviotion against it, as Searl could get men to swear anything he liked, Constable Cashion admitted to Mr Pownall that he (tho constable) was at present under a summons for using insulting language. He also admitted that he had persistently kept an eye' on Searl with the intention of preventing him from getting a renewal or transfer of license, He hateoasted openly of blocking Searl at Hawera, liy writing private letters to the constable there. He thought it the duty, of every policeman to use whatever means possible to provent a man liko Searl irom gel ting a license. H e had been sent to Featheraton in place of Sergeant MoArdle and had not come with the intention of blocking Searlas at Hawera, He denied that Mr Hogg bad ever given him a broad hint that he would be removed, if he persisted muck longer in bis persecutions of Searl. He denied writing to Inspector Thompson complaining that Constable Smith had let Searl pasa, but stafcerlbe had a goodmind towrite. As far as he know Searl had been summoned three times. He remembered the charges laid against Messrs Searl and Godfrey for perjury, and tho charge of perjury laid ogainßt himself at the same time. He denied ' that the case against Searl had been withdrawn on condition that Searl withdrew the charge against him. The Clerk read the report of a meeting of tno Carterton Committee at which the trannfer of a license to Mr Searl was refused,

Mr Pownall explained tbat the transfer was refused because it could not be made, Constable Smith slated that sines the temporary transfer of the licenso of the Victoria Hotel, much money had been spent and the hotel was greatly improved in every respect, i Constable Smith also stated that dur. J ing his stay of twenty-eight days in J| Wellington, at'the time ef the strikeJtifl he wna frequently at tlie Pawflß[ Hotel, of which Mr Searl wlnno^^ licensee, and he did uot once notice ' anything wrong or disorderly. He took no aotion against Searl in Featherston hecauße, although he had written twice to the Inspector he had received no answer,

Mr Pownall stated that ho could prove that Mr Searl had never been refused a license, and had never had a conviction recorded against him, Mr Pownall also stated that a minute had boen ineerted in the books of tho Masterton Committee to the effect that a renewal of licenso had been relused, but the minute was Btruck out at tho unanimous direction of tho Committee, He was of the opinion that all the objections came from Sergt MoArdle, who, being afraid to " face the musio" had jtowcniently I fallen ill, There over twenty informations M£i against his client, in four or five only of which his client had to make a dofence. Every one of the charges had been dismissed. The case of perjury against Mr Godfrey had been dismissed without the defence being heard, and in the case against Mr Searl the police offered to withdraw the ohargo on condition that Mr Searl withdrew a charge brought by him against Constable Cashion for perjury.

Mr Pownnll then produced certificated reports of the orderly manner in which the Panama Hotel bad been conducted, and Btated that Mr Searl was the only publican in Te Aro who was allowed the extended license. In conclusion he hoped that the committee would grant the license and signify their disapproval of the manner in which Mr Searl had been persecuted, Mr F, fl, lbbctson, clerk Masterton Committee, stated I]»hH Searl had never been refused a and that the books at present Bhowed that a renowal of license was granted to E, J, Searl, and temporarily transferred to J, 0. Eastwood, and the license of the Star' Hotel- at present was in the name of E. J.-Searl, After retiring for a few minutes the Cpnimittee decided to grant the transfer of license to Edward John - Searl. Mr Pownall asked that the costs of his witness be defrayed, but the an. plication was not granted.