or unincorporate, by some duly authorized representative thereof or to submit any statement in writ ing in connection with the application to the licensing authority. (2) An applicant, an objector or a person who has submitted a report referred to in subsection (1) of section seve nteen may give evidence before a licensing authority and may call any witness and cross -examine any witness called by any other party or by the licensing authority. (3) It shall not be necessary to appear in support of any application, objection or report made or given to a licensing authority and no application or objection shall be refused or dismissed, as the case may be, solely on the grounds of any such non-appearance: Provided that nothing in this subsection contained shall be construed as affecting the right of a licensing authority to require the attendance of any person before it. 19 Licensing authority may take notice of objection (1) A licensing authority may of its own motion take notice of any matter or thing whatsoever which in its opinion would be an objection to the granting of any application for a new licence although no objection has been made thereto by any person. (2) The licensing authority shall inform the applicant of such matter or thing and shall adjourn further consideration of the application, if the applicant so requests, for any period being not less than four days, in order that the person affected by the objection may have an opportunity of replying thereto. (3) The licensing authority shall at or forthwith after such adjournment give notice in writing of the grounds of objection to the person affected thereby and of the day on which the application will be further considered. 20 Decision of licensing authority on application for new licence (1) A licensing authority may, in respect of an application for the issue of a new licence— (a) grant the application unconditionally; (b) grant the application subject to any condition, restriction or requirement— (i) relating to the class or type of goods in respect of which the trade or business may, in terms of the licence, be carried on; (ii) in the case of a licence in respect of one or more vending machines, relating to the number and class or type of vending machine or machines that may be operated and the situation thereof; (iii) which has as its purpose the carrying on of the trade or business concerned by the applicant in accordance with the particulars furnished by the applicant in his application; (iv) relating to any matter referred to in subsection (2); (c) grant the application on condition that the applicant takes such steps, whether before or after the issue of the licence as may be specified by the licensing authority and within such period as may be specified by the licensing authority or within such extension of that period as may be granted by the licensing authority, to provide for or to remedy any matter, situation, condition or thing the absence or existence of which would otherwise be a ground for refusal of the ap plication in terms of subsection (2); (d) without derogation from the generality of the powers conferred by paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), grant the application on condition that the applicant takes such steps as may be specified by the licensing authority, whether before or after the issue of the licence and within such period as may be specified by the licensing authority or within such extension of that period as may be granted by the licensing authority, to erect, add to or alter any building or structure; (e) refuse the application on any of the grounds referred to in subsection (2); (f) subject to paragraph (a ) of subsection (5), postpone its consideration and decision in respect of the application for such period as it may deem fit— (i) in order to inspect the premises concerned or to have them inspected or to make or cause any further investigation to be made in relation thereto; or (ii) for any other reason. (2) A licensing authority shall refuse an application for the issue of a new licence if satisfied that— (a) t h e applicant is not or will not be the owner of the trade or business concerned; (b) the applicant is not, whether he is or will be in actual and effective control of the trade or business concerned or not, and, if another person is or will be in such control, such person is not, a suitable person to carry on the proposed trade or business, whether by reason of his character, his previous conduct or the uncleanliness of his person, habits or methods or for any other reason; (c) without derogation from the generality of paragraph (b), the applicant has, whether he is or will be in actual and effective control of the trade or business concerned or not and, if another person is or will be in such control, such person has, within the preceding five years been convicted in the aggregate three or more times in terms of section four or five of this Act, or of any offence in terms of the Trade Measures Act [Chapter 14:23] or any of the regulations made thereunder or in terms of a like provision of any Act or regulation which was repealed by any such Act and whether such aggregate arises from convictions under the same such provision or enactment or under separate such provisions or enactments;