To Mr Caygill: The hotel was not a necessity for him, but was very convenient for men who worked for him. The hotel served all the district round the hills to the Halswell quarries. Patrick Finnerty deposed that he had owned property close to the-hotel for some years. The rent of his house had fallen from 5a to 3s 6d per week on account of the closing of the hotel. The house was a quiet one when it was licensed, was much fre quented by carters, and he considered a licensed house in that district a necessity. Mr Harper Baid he would put in a peti tion signed by a number of persona living in the vicinity of the house. {^Mr Caygill, before giving evidence on his own account, made the formal objection as in other cases. He contended that as the application had not been refused, but with drawn in 1892, thiß must be treated as a new license. He deposed that he resided opposite the hotel, and had good oppor tunities of judging as to the necessity for it. The locality was almost entirely residen tial, and, as far an he could judge, the closing of the house had not been detrimental to the district. In reply to the Chairman Mr Caygill said he went to live in the locality a short time before the house was closed. To Mr Harper: He was a prohibitionist, and did not consider any houses were necessary in Sydenham, but if the people wanted them they were entitled to have them. Stephen Wills stated that he had been a resident near the hotel for six years. It had changed hands twice in that time. He did not consider either a licensed house or an accommodation house was required in the district. When the hotel was open travellers used to stop there and water their horses and get a drink. He could not say whether the closing of the house had any effect on the value of property in the district. Mr Wills was proceeding to tell something that had happened under a previous licensee, when, on an objection by Mr Harper, the Chairman Baid Buch evi dence could not be allowed. Mr Wills said he did not think the previous licensees had misconducted the house. 