"Business" Offered in Settlement of Debt
Page 48
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CONSENT. to the " transfer " of an A licence was refused by Mr. J. H. Stirk, East Midland Licensing Authority, at Leicester, on Tuesday, when the holder of the licence admitted that it was in consideration of a debt of £100 being waived.
The application was by Mr. Albert Ludlam, hosiery operative, of Heathcote Road, Loughborough. He sought to have transferred to him the licence held by Mr. Gwylyn Thomas Roberts, also of Loughborough. Mr. Roberts admitted to Mr. Stirk that he carried nothing but ashes.
Mr. Stirk remarked that there was something about the application which n14
he did not like, and proceeded to question Mr. Ludlam, who said he had been a hosiery operative for 31 years, but had been with Mr. Roberts for two years. He added that he occasionally received money from Mr. Roberts.
Asked how he expected a haulage business to pay on the transport of ashes at is. 0d. a load, Mr. Ludlam replied that they were worth a little more than that. Mr. Roberts told Mr. Stirk that, during the past 12 months, he had carried nothing but ashes and had earned over £500. He had been paid 30s. a load for ashes.
Mr. Stirk : "It is ashes you are carrying—not gold."
When Mr. Roberts said he had paid Mr. Ludlam wages, Mr. Stirk asked whether it was correct that he owed Mr. Ludlam £100, and was giving him the business. Mr. Roberts admitted that this was so.
Mr. Stirk: "Do you think it fair to . leave a man like Ludlam, with no experience of this so-called business? If you could not make it pay, how do you think he can? From your point of view, you have got rid of your liabilities?"—" Yes."
Refusing the application, Mr. Stirk said that it would be a kindness to Mr. Ludlam to reject it. He was not satisfied that there was any business.