July Residents n houses adjoining 543 Avenue will probably Jaccept the decision of the Commission Provisoire of the French [Concession with the feeling that half a loaf is better than no bread. Though protests have failed to prevent the issuance of licence to the cafe and dancing hall which it is desired to maintain there, modifications are to be effected which should to something to mitigate the evils which are feared. The result is Met, and cannot be wholly satisfactory for the precedent has been established for the invasion lof residential districts by activities which neither contribute to the amenities of such areas nor Jenhance the values of the properties therein. There appears in this case, however, to have been no doubt in the mines of those behind the enterprise that jo licence would be issued and that they would be able to commence operations last Tuesday. Announcements in fact were made to this effect towards the lend of last _week, and though some alteration was made at the last moment, due it is said to final arrangements not having been completed, no little confidence as to the outcome of the \deliberations of the Commission was indicated. Those protesting against the granting of a licence to the Majestic Gardens, therefore, may congratulate themselves on having obtained a measure of success, and if they fare vigilant to see that the conditions Imposed upon the granting of such a licence, and the ipal_ regulations _concerning such undertakings are observed to the fullest extent it may be that things will not be so bad as were originally feared.
There is, however, something to be said regarding the procedure followed in connection with the application for and the ultimate granting of the licence under conditions. It is the practice of the French municipality to state jin the "Bulletin Municipal" what applications have been received, for permission to open classified establishments in which category dancing places are included. On page 14 of the issue of July 13 there appears a lengthy list of. "Demandes d'Ouve ture d'etablissements Classes.
[Therein is shown the nature of ithe permission "asked for and ithe address to which it is to be applied, thus:—"Salle de Danse (en plain air)—au roof garden ide UHotel Plaza, angle rues clu Conswlot et Montauban." It will Ibe noticed that though the name Hotel Plaza would have been. sufficient description of the place, there were added the names of the streets at the inter section of which the hotel stands. The next item on the page in question reads:—Cafe, restaurant stranger avec salle de ldanse—Lot Ca, 14012, Avenue Haig. That is 543 Avenue Haig, though how many people would recognise it from that description it is dificult to say. There fare not many people who can recognise an address from the leadastral lot number, and this divergence from what abears to be the common practice dots Met look particularly well. Five Idays before this notification was published in the "Bulletin Muni~ Icipal" work had been commenced lon the dancing pavilion—July '8—so that somewhere about that Jdate those responsible for the undertaking were certain that there would be no obstacle to their plans.
Jobviously, would not have com-Imenced the expensive work of building if there had existed any doubt as to whether the licence they would require would be granted, It is plain from the above that the procedure under which licences are applied for and granted requires some readjust iment. The advent of licensed premises. into any district, expecially residential, is a matter which necessitates the closest scrutiny on the part of the authorities, in addition to which Jample opportunity should be given to those who might wish to protest against the necessary permission being granted. In this case it can safely be said that the first intimation, those most likely to be affected by the presence of a dancing floor in Itheir midst received, was the commencement of building ions. Tt was not until later that official notification of the application for licence was published, and then in a form which was not readily recognisable by the public. Those immediately concerned sought the assistance of publicity making their protest ithe French authorities, whose reasonable attitude has permitted a solution in partial safeguard of the interests of residents and promoters alike. The decision of the Commission Provisoire in this matter further tends to support the hope that ithe system of notifying the public of applications for permits for classified establishments will be overhauled to prevent recurrence of the cor {tretemps outlined above, so that ithe amples opportunities ma:
given for protests, when necessary, being filed and objec tions heard. And, as has already been said, the solution lof the difficulty may not be all that the residents near the Majestic Gardens may desire, lout taken all round it seems to lbe just about as equitable as it could be in the circumstances.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.