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Thanet Advertiser, Tuesday, 12 April, 1932.
COUNCILLOR AND BENCH.
Sir, - Re the Ramsgate Licensing Bench and the Harbour Station site, I
note from your columns lately that the magistrates refused Messrs.
Letheby and Christopher's application for a license at "Merrie England"
on the grounds of "non-necessity," but I cannot find any report of
evidence to support that decision. On the contrary, I find the
following:-
1. As many as 550 can be seated on the premises at one time.
2. That the serving of these customers with drinks by sending out to
neighbouring pubs is not a practice proposition as might well be
imagined.
3. That the applicants were bringing large parties to Ramsgate and to
supply food and refreshments, and their success which was important for
the town would depend on obtaining a licence.
4. The Chief Constable stated that licensing of restaurants would do
much to decrease the practice of perpendicular drinking, and his
evidence was manifestly favourable to the application.
5. Messrs. Letherby and Christopher are a well-known and very
experienced firm of caterers of many years standing, and incidentally
are considered good enough to cater at Ascot to the satisfaction of
Royalty and prominent people from all over the world.
Now, it is perfectly obvious that the magistrates are and have been
prejudicing the interests of the town badly. They have prevented the
building of a new hotel on the site of the old "Sanclu Hotel," which is
consequently still in an unsightly state of ruin solely the result of
their refusing a licence last year when Mr. Dunn applied for one before
getting on with the building; they have just refused an extension of
hours for the Easter holidays, and they will doubtless continue this
antagonism unless public opinion forces them to adjudicate in accordance
with the evidence produced which is recognised as the civilised method
of arriving at decisions affecting the interests of of the litigants and
has always existed in those of our courts of law where the arbiter's are
educated and qualified for the administration of justice.
I think the "non-necessity" plea which is now stock phraseology on the
licensing bench with fade away if the magistrates were given a day or
two at running backwards and forwards between the afflicting restaurants
and the "pubs" fetching drinks of 500 diners.
Yours faithfully, J. L. Clancy.
3, Marlborough Road, Ramsgate, 5th April, 1932.
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