SOLDIERS' PLAINT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 118, 21 May 1942, Page 6

SOLDIERS' PLAINT

HOTEL HOURS QUESTION

DIFFICULTIES VENTILATED (P.A.) BLENHEIM, Wednesday. The present licensing laws in relation to war conditions were discussed in the Magistrate's Court when a case was dealt with involving a hotelkeeper • and a number of soldiers found after hours on hotel premises. "I can see the difficulty," said Mr. T. E. Maunsell, S.M. "Military training prevents these men from getting a drink in the hours laid down by the Act. That is the unfortunate part of the whole thing." "It is pretty hard," said SeniorSergeant Smyth. "Some of these men speak pretty roughly about it at times. They say that when they are not being followed about by a bugler they are being followed about bv the police. These men should have some consideration. They are very well conducted on the whole. Thev are a credit to the uniform. I "don't know why it is a sin every time you see a soldier having a drink." Mr. Maunsell said he was in the same difficulty as the police. "I cannot wink an eye at it, as it is against the law," he added.

A Territorial officer in Court agreed that soldiers had not an opportunity of getting in for a drink during training hours. In addition all they handled of their pav was half a crown a day. Mr. Maunsell: I can't help it. It is where the law stands.

Subsequently the magistrate said he would reduce several fines of 10/ and ,costs he had already imposed on soldiers found on hotel premises to 5/ and costs.