PUBLICAN'S LICENSES.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1558, 29 June 1882, Page 2

PUBLICAN'S LICENSES.

At the usual monthly meeting of the Waikato County Council yesteiday, a letter -was read from Mr J. T. Camp, licensee of the Tamaheve Hotel, asking the council to refund £15 of his license fee. He exjriained that the fee formerly charged waj £15 ; that the licensing commissioners had reduced it to £10 this year, but the county treasurer refused to take less than -C 25, which was 100 much for a country, hotel. He prayed the council to make the fee as low as postible. — The clerk &aid he had received the certificate from the licensing committee fixing the fee for Mr Camp's hotel at £10, but of course he refused to take it, as the Licensing Act fixed the amount of the license fee, and he "could take no other. — The clerk read a similar letter fi;om the licensees of the hotels at Huntly, Taupiri and Rangiriri. „ Tliey did not consider it right that ,they, the owners of small country .hotels, should be charged* the same fee as those in large centres of population. — The clerk, said- it was clear the council, had no power to lower or remit the' fees.— Mr Primrose was opposed to any interference with 'the provisions of the act. If the li6enses' were too high and the hotels did not pay, there Was no power to compel people to engage in that line, of business. — Mr Wolls said certain of; tho 'publicans had , written to him, asking him to forward their ' cause in the council." * -He had carefully gone into the m%tjter» and while quite ... "agreid'linat theMouncil/foad?W- power to , interfere; he thougHtJfrey should express regret that they were unable to do so,' It (f*seemed:tsh,im ji vei>y^Kai'd> mattei'^tliat ' ?tlie hotel at-Bffiigirinj^which^wasjas.rpiiip^ 4>pußlfc r ~coni?enie;nce' as;any other jwhiStf wasJinfl^ka^necesVty^- slj ouhl'pay J ias^puchias^ liouiea^iii, .N^aruCwahJji^^e )

council would be willing -to recommend? any alteration in the^law which would give the licensing committees discr?tionary power to vary the amount of the license' fee iiT country districts according to circumstances. — This was carried. — The clerk explained that the petitioners could obtain relief by applying at next annual sitting of the court for accommodation licenses, the foe for which varied trom a farthing upward, as the committee mighty decide. — The chairman and Mr Wells agreed that that course would result in no good, as the committtees would not be justified in granting such licenses in the cases under notice.