LETTING IN THE LIGHT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1963, 6 October 1888, Page 2

LETTING IN THE LIGHT.

The following 1b reprinted from a Donedin paper :•— -- -

Now and again we get, by one means or other, a slight insight into the dark and crooked ways of the liquor business. Now In the Police Court, then at moetings of the Licensing Oomirii .tee, a>;d anon In some bankrup'oy proceedings we are permitted to get a peep behind the soenes, and to learn some of ibe method* of the muoh- protected trade m strong drink And what methods they are 1 Hotr anyone wltb the least respect for public virtue or morality can tolerate a trade whioh reports to itaoh methods or is associated with snob faeis as are now and again brought to light, is to as matter of sad bewilderment. A xhort time since we had the gambling case m the "Shades," then came the exposure of the condnot of the " Olarendon." I>i another oolamn are some partlouUre of tho case against the nominM Heansee of the "Palace" hotel, who Is expiating, la the oommon jail, the offoooe of whioh he was then cmvioted ; and recently ire have heard of a matter to which we shall allude more particularly presently, bat which has not yet engaged the attention of either the Licensing Committee or the Police Court, but which will, we hope, be yet brought under the notice of both. Meantime, the atory of tho " Palaoo " hotel la worth telling at some length. The " Palace " is situated at the orner of George street and Moray Plaoo, and was formerly known as the " Royal George." The present nominal licensee is aMr Ross, who had a lengi of the premises. Mr Boss got Into financial difficulties; oame under obligation* to a well-known money lender In town, to whom he assigned hla interest m the leaio, and thns made him virtually licensee and lessee of the hotel, Ross remaining m nominal obarge of the premises to keep the license alive till the lessee conld find someone to take a temporary transfer. Meantime, Rosb committed some c ffmoe apainet the Licensing Act, for which he win called to account m the Polioe Court. The offsnee was proved and Ross oonvloted. Tho J.P.s on the bench were a l - one to lefl'ot a fino, bnt were informed that the penalty for the oflfenoe with whioh Roas was charged was forfeiture of the license. Thereupon the worthy Justices withdraw tho couviotlon, and dismissed the information whlob thoy had already declared had been proved. So m after tbe above little epiaode the money-lender, who Is the virtual licensee, found among his clients a man who while owing him money had nothing to pay, and had besides a sick wife and ratber numerous family for whom he had no means of providing. This man was Induced to take a temporary transfer of the license, He had, as we have said, no money, and was m debt besides, but he found no d ffioulty In getting the temporary license, and entered on the management of the hotel as the paid servant of the virtual lloensee. Ho was to be paid a ortiin weekly wage by his patron, the lender of money, ten shillings per week *raa to go In liqqldatlon of his debt, and the balance to be paid In oash. He had not been long m fie house ere it was found that If q inducted m conformity with the oondltions under which the license wag held the house wonld not pay. His wages were reduced from time to time unill, we understand, tboy stood at thirty shillings a week, of whioh ten shillings were still rotalned m payment of hia dobt to his employer, leaving twenty shillings a week for the support of tbe slok wlfa and six ohildren. The followed the oases In the Polio* Oour^ particulars of which are given m another place, the conviction of the poor man for violations of toe licensing law, for which we believe he was no 1 roeponßiblo, and his committal to gajl beoauso of hie Inability to pay the fins inflioted. While wo write the man ia still m fcaol, an I his wife and family are reoeiving aid from the Benevolent Institution. Of oouree the transfer of, the license to this unfortunate mm was not oom dieted, and Rosa still remain* the nominal licensee of tho premises m whioh he had no interest, and m which ho only sleeps co often a? may be necessary to keep the license alive. The othor matter to whioh we have referred i» the foot that, unless we are altogether misioforined, and we don't think we aro, a li ensed house, not a hundred miles from tbe postofli jo, was the scene, a month or so asto, of what is known m " sporting " circles as a regular "Bot-to" between tbe son o.f a wollknownciti?eq and a yom»g blood from a town m a neighbouring provincial distriot. Nor was this a fight arising on the moment from some nulooked for quarrel, so oommon m houses where liquor is sold. Wo have heard of Buoh inoidonta as those, m whioh J.P's. and M.H.R's. have been concerned, occurring m our best and most respectable hotels, but tho case we now refer to was not one of these. Two yoaDg men had fallen oat over some matter or other, ajd they ultimately determined to fight It out In the regular orthodox style of the ring. They went into training, and about tbe time indicated met m one of the licensed houses In this city. A room w»s engaged, friends of both principals, wort admitted by tloket, and there, wjfch all the aooessarles of tho prliga fight, those two young men fought until, as wo are Informed, thoy were able to fight no longer. We know not for whioh side the victory was claimed, but understand that both.com battnts had as tho retu'tof the encounter, to be plaoed under medical treatment. i This case is now no secret ; It has been the subjeot of conversation In private circles ; It was related to us with some fullness of detail ; and we have heard it talked of »t the corner of tbo street. And this Is the aae to whioh a licensed house o»n be pat m this city of Danedln, and In this year of graoe. We wonder do tbe polioe know anything about the fight or will the f«ots oome nnder tbe notice of the Licensing Committee, We shall see 1