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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, 11 February, 1910.
DOVER LICENSING SESSIONS
THE NEPTUNE HALL.
This was also a house to which objections to the renewal of the
license had been given on orders of the Magistrates on the ground of
redundancy.
Mr. Rutley Mowll appeared to represent the tenant.
The Chief Constable said that the Neptune Hall, Hawkesbury Street,
was fully licensed. The brewers were Messrs. Mackeson and Co. Hythe. The
tenant was Mr. G. H. Walker, and it was transferred to him on August
16th, 1895. The rateable value was £15 gross, £12 net. The licensed
houses in the immediate vicinity were the "Albion" 67 yards, the
"Railway Inn" 97 yards, the "Archliffe Fort Inn" back door 30 yards, the
front 50 yards, the "Endeavour," Bulwark Street, 93 yards, the "Hope,"
Council House Street, 120 yards, the "Granville Arms," Limekiln Street,
64 yards, the "Two Brewers," Limekiln Street, side door 66 yards, front
door 76 yards. Including the buffets at the Railway stations, there were
27 licensed houses in the area to the west of the railway. The total
number of houses in the area was 493, and 430 were occupied and 63
empty. Reckoning five persons to each house there were 2175 in the
district, or 80 persons to each license in the district. That included
children. In Hawkesbury Street there were 23 houses, including three
licensed premises. In the immediate neighbourhood a number of the house
had been demolished. The frontage was 14ft. 10in. The side of the house
abutted on to Bulwark Lane, and was 47ft. The accommodation was a
private bar in front, public bar, door at side entrance. private sitting
room, used also as a store room, and a kitchen on the ground floor.
Upstairs there was one sitting room, three bedrooms, and two rooms not
in use. At 11.20 on Thursday, 20th January, there was one customer, at
3.30 on January 24th no customers, at 9.30 a.m. on Monday, 31st, no
customers, at 7.20 p.m. on Thursday, February 3rd, two customers.
The Mayor: The house has been well conducted. - Oh yes, the man has
been there since 1895.
Mr. Mowll: In regard to these visits, you say, I see you gave him two
visits on Thursday? - Yes.
It so happens he has been keeping a little record against you, and on
Thursday there were 83 customers.
The Mayor: That is the whole day?
Mr. Mowll: yes, not at one time, of course.
The Mayor: You are not questioning his evidence?
Mr. Mowll: No. In regard to Superintendent Fox I should not question
his word. I was questioning the value of his evidence. On Monday, the
27th, when you say there were no customers when you went into the house
there were over 60 on that day. On the Thursday there were 34, on Friday
88, on Saturday 96, on Monday 63, on Tuesday 53, on Wednesday 46, on
Thursday 63, on Friday 76. You see from these figures that your little
test of visits at carefully selected times are hardly a fair criterion
of the trade being done.
Chief Constable Fox: I see yours increase as time went on; evidently
they knew something was coming off.
It is not a wise remark on your part, and it is not true. In regard
to the number of licensed premises in the district, if I remember
rightly you gave the same evidence in respect to the "Albion" last year?
- Yes; it would cost too much to close it.
When you made a statement as to the population in this immediate area
I think you will agree with me that the public houses in the Pier
district cater for people who live in other parts of the town and work
in the neighbourhood? - Yes, I have also included any military who live
near or pass through the district.
Mr. Mowll said that the basis taken, therefore was not of much value.
The Mayor: Surely the basis is to take so many people into each
house. The Superintendent has also stated that you must consider the
large number of working people who come down to the Pier district.
Mr. Mowll: This tenant has been in the house for 14 years?
The Chief Constable: Yes.
He has no other means of livelihood, and that means that he has
been able to get a living during that time? - I have his own words
for it; he says he has.
THE DECISION.
The Mayor at once said: The Bench have come to the conclusion that
the four licenses ought to go forward. Of course we quite appreciate the
eloquence of our friend, Mr. Mowll, and if it were a question of dealing
with a matter from one of sentiment, it might have been decided
otherwise. We have a very difficult question to deal with, and the
decision we have come to must have regard to the question of redundancy
in the neighbourhood. before even this case went to Court great care was
taken that those houses which we really believed are redundant, are
those that come before the Court, and I think the Bench in this case are
of the opinion that all these houses are in that category, and that it
is important to do otherwise than to send the four cases to be dealt
with by the Quarter Sessions.
The licenses were provisionally renewed pending the decision of
Quarter Sessions.
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