HOTEL LICENSES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 618, 9 June 1891, Page 3

HOTEL LICENSES.

CLOSING THE HOUSES AT ELEVEN O’CLOCK. The first meeting of the Borough Licensing Bench under the triennial system, was held on Saturday morning. The Bench comprised Messrs Lewis (Chairman), Nasmith, Humphreys, and Maynard. Before the ordinary business was proceeded with, Mr DeLautour said that he was there with others, with the permission of the Bench, to present a petition. The petition was to the effect that the meaning of the Act was that all hotels should be closed at 10 p.m., except in special eases where an extension was shown to be for the convenience of the public; that in Auckland the hotels were closed at 10 without inconvenience being felt, and in other cities restrictions are placed on grant ing extended licenses. The petitioners therefore urged that licenses in Gisborne should not be granted an extension after 10 o’clock, and they also urged that the utmost endeavors should be used against Sunday trading. The petition was signed by : —J. Townley, J. E. Fox, S. J. Gibson, Byburn, Gardiner, W. L. Williams, H. W, Williams, James Bosie, Scotter, Beere, J. Pollock, Birch, J. Robb, I. C. Taylor, W. Fraser, C. Thomson, John Wallace, Witty, Jamieson, J. T. Evans, O. J. Veale, Baker, Johnstone, Henry Bull jun., J. Kennedy, 0. Veale sen., Charles Gray, Stafford. E. Goldsmith, W. L. File, B. N. Jones, Reynolds, C. P. Davies, DeLautour, Akroyd, Warren, Partington, Featon, Ling, J. Lewis, Coleman, Henry Bull, H. M. Porter, and East. Speaking in support of the petition Mr DeLautoar continued: —I am to say, Mr Chairman, that this petition has not been largely presented to the residents ; but it has just been brought under the no* ice of those who were easily met, and the petitioners have reason to believe that their wish is a very unanimous one from a large see ion of the public. They venture to point out for your consideration, that at Gisborne there are no railway trains arriving at different periods in the night, and no travelling public arriving at late hours. There is no necessity in the interests of the public that the hotels should open for a later hour than 10. In many towns where there are large shipping arrivals, or railways brirging passengers at all hours, it may be necessary that some hotels should be kept open; the only object in a place like Gisborne is to give facilities for late drinking, and to some extent for gambling, and the petitioners urge you to take this into consideration, and on enquiry satisfy yourselves that there is no necessity in the public interest, for hotels to be open later than ten o’clock, hoping that you will deal with the petition in the same sptrit as that in which it is presented to you. The Chairman ; This petition will receive every consideration by the Committee, and not be hastily dealt with. I have no doubt that the request of the petitioners, if not grauted in full, will at least be granted to a certain extent. Mr DeLautour and the other petitioners present withdrew. Mrs DeCostu: May I make a remark regarding my house last night ? I was compelled in that case to keep open for the benefit of ladies and young children, who were in the house from early in the afternoon till late at night, and lots of passengers are glad to come in for shelter, As far as the passenger traffic is concerned 12 o'clock is not a bit too late. The Chairman : In a matter of that kind a certain discretionary power lies with the police. Mrs DeCosta : You all know there is no depending on when the steamers will arrive. The Chairman ; Last night was an exceptional case, and no doubt if the necessity of keeping an hotel open on special occasions of the kind were shown, there would be no objection. It is seldom that there are such occurrences. Last night’s instance is the first I can remember since I have been in Gisbornei whenever a boat has been so late as that it has been tendered in the morning. However, the matter will be considered by the Committee. The Bench then considered whether those interested in licensed houses should be allowed to speak. Mr Maynard thought pn expression of opinion should be invited, and the Chairman asked if the members of the Bench had anything to say first. Mr Humphreys: I should like to hear if there are any objections from owners of other licensed houses. Mr Harding: If you permit me, gentlemen. I would like to say a few words on tb« subject. Lately it has been a matter of impossibility to get the hotels closed early. The small steamers have generally kept us up till after twelve. I have had to stay up myself to see the house closed; indeed last night we were up till 2 a.m. to receive people coining back frem the Steamer, and even then I had to rise from my bed at 3 this morning to let in one man who had. been out to the steamer. It has latterly always been after II before the work entailed by the arrival of the small boats has been finished with, and we have to wait up. Mr Nasmith: I think myself that 10 o'clock is altogether too early, I should be in favor of 11 o’clock. Mr Maynard: I should be in favor of letting the licenses remain as before. ' Mr Humphreys t I should like to hear what the Sergeant has to say. The Sergeant: Well the only opinion I would express is that if you gave an eleven o'clock license I wish you to give a 12 o’clock one, which is really the same, as with an 11 o'clock license it would really mean 12, because there is no penalty provided. It jjouid be of no benefit. Mr Humphreys: Would it be a benefit to close the house 1 The Sergeant: I think the only benefit would be to the servants in the hotels; I think there would be just as much drinking and just as much gambling as there can be at present. That is the only relief as far as my experience gegs. I could speak about other places, but it is not necessary to do so. The Sergeant, in reply to the Chairman, said it had been pointed out by Inspector Broham, of Auckland, and it had been acknowledged tbat the law provided for no penalty upon those who had 11 o’clock licenses, and sold between that and 12 o’clock, There would thus be the lose to (be revenue tbat a'person would ’pay £i for extension from 10 to 11 instead of £lO for the extension to 12 o’clock. The Chairman (to the members): Well, gentlemen, what do you say ? Mr Maynard : I say they should be left the Seine as it is. They can apply for 10 o’clock licenses if they want it. After the Bench bad discussed the matter between themselves, the Chairman said : Some of the Committe are of opinion, and I may say I am one myself, that licenses should be issued up to 11 o’clock only, excepting for what the Sergeant Sfiys about thepe being no penally. The Sergeant said the only way to get at offenders was to punish them when they applied for a renews], but there was no penalty. He was positive of what he said. On looking at the Act the Chairman still felt satisfied that an offender would be liable.

The Sergeant: He would be to you, bepause the Bench can always punish him by taking away bis license. Op further consideration the Committee Ac cided to grant no further extension than to 11 o’clock, All the applicants for renewals then asked for, and were granted, the full extension, so that in future all hotels in the Borough will close at 11 o'clock.

RENEWALS AND TRANSFERS. Albion Club Hotel—Renewal by D, Crawford.—Granted ; eleven o’clock. Masonic Hotel—Renewal by J. Harding. —Granted ; e’even o’clock. Argyll Hotel —Renewal by James Finlay. —Granted; eleven o’clock Royal Hotel—Renewal by F. A. Martin' —Granted; eleven o’clock. Settlers’ Hotel—Renewal by William Gault.—Granted; eleven o'clock. Transfer from Hepry Gannon to Frederick Martin.—Granted. Hotel—Transfer from Bichard to Jfttaes Finla/.—Granted j eleven O’clock?

Turanganui Hotel—Application for renewal by Mrs DeCosta.—Granted; eleven •’clock. Gisborne Hotel—Renewal by James H. Martin. - Granted ; eleven o’clock. British Empire—Renewal by T. J. Dickson.—Granted; eleven o’clock. In the case of Mr Gault’s application for the renewal of his Settlers Hotel license, Sergeant Carlyon reported strongly against the condition of the house, and also declared that it was not necessary, as the landlord had said it did not pay. The Bench had the matter gone into fully, and after consideration it was decided to grant the license, but Mr Gault was severely censured and warned of the risk he ran of losing the license. Messrs Williams and Kettle were granted a wholesale license. STREET LIGHTS. Mr Harding referred the attention of the Bench to the matter of street lights. He said he thought that licensees should not have to keep lights burning outside their premises after the hour at which they were compelled to close their houses. The Chairman considered the request a fair one. The Bench agreed to grant the request, as applying to all cases.