CLUB CONDUCT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 953, 21 October 1910, Page 5

CLUB CONDUCT.

THE SYDENHAM ALLEGATIONS. GRAVE RI3PORT. FINDINGS OF TH£ MAGISTRATE. (By- Aseooiation.V / ./, Christchnreh, XDotober 20. ' The Beport of Mr.'W. : G. ; Eid<kli,S.Mi, the commissioner who -\ was appoiSited.tooxamime: into the charges made in connection with the conduct of the Sydenham Working, Men's Club, has been published. 'Tie club? bae ;now arranged for a deputation, consisting of Mr. J. Hooper (president), Mr. John (secretary) and Mr.,.J. A. Beattie to wait ;upon the Minister in Wellington at 11 o'clock on Saturday morning. The report,; after setting out the teinis of the/comniissioii, goes on -to deal as follows! with the phargest— .■.■..'.■ Cards-and Drinks. ■■■■<,■'j,-...'■"'■■■'■■'■: : (1) That it has been the practice -«>f 'the club to allow cards to be played ■ for drinks. , ,:. The- weight of 'evidence■ .' eup--ports this charge, and goes to show; that, when.members play cards -in the blub,the practice is tor the loser to' pay for' the drinks which usually follow: the completion of -theganie. If no. drink is consumed the loser, in ,many cases, hands to the winner ;a tioket -in the form shown, ■in. exhibit "C," which entitles him -:(or any holder) to a 'drink in ] the club at a later date. . Sometimes' the winner.; pays for the drinks, but this is: the exception, and not the rule. Sometimes, however, a game iardaiwd without.ife'- result-being fofloiyed by refreshment. ; .;-. \ ;. ; ij:

:■■..'■•. : ;' .-,,.- /Gambling*&.•■-■ y; ','-;?• ji;:: '■■■•(2) That :in the.dub. Is.) I consider/that the practice of the loser in a game of cards_ paying for drinks, or handing to the winner 'a ticket, -which entitles the. holder .to' a drink-at a; later date, amounts to gamblI ing. isilhii.• the meaning of the .decision in the case.Puller v.. Fouhy, 7, Gazette Law ; :Beport3, 575. : (b) There is. also evidence to show that, at: the' time,of the. principal race meetings: held .in .Christ-: church,. viz;, the Grand v - Nai&Bal; meeting, New Zealand Cup: meeting, and the Easter meeting,'.it has ..been: customary for some of-the ohft nwmbers: to make up aid draw sweeps on' : the result of .some race win at ■ each - of. those meetings.' The drawing of the sweeps usually takes place on Sunday morning m the club s hall. Slips of paper,- on which are 'written the names' , of the - horses taking' part in the last- 'Grand National race; meeting (exhibit.- "D"), ..and.other some of which are written theriames of memibers of the dub (exhibjt;"E J ')i' were found, in the club's; hall:about/ the;time of that ; meeting. ; The drawing ; of these sweeps is gambling •■ within ■ the: meaning of. the Gaming Act, l?OSj and it has been done wrth: the knowledge : :of; some.of: the committee- of the plub.-;:,;; : ; ; ; - j -',;/ : v W-jw

Locker System.

. the lMker; Bystem;\mas' been flagrantly abused by'the etoriof^on; Saturday nights, of .demijohns' of. liquor, and by excessive drinking, fromithese-oiiSun-day. -i: The: evidence' ia : support:.of.; this charge shows .that there are :eigMeen ordinary lockei-s, and one. tog*. lockerj on the club's/premises;. '■ that l.tttese lockers either, .belong to,'or-are shared; by, cerbain 7 members of ■ the club i ihat ,the practice' is 'for; those :'■ irienibets'; to purchase varying■ quantities : of liquor ;<*n: Saturday, .nights,.: and place; it v ;in ■ their for consumption/ on ; the: following Sunday! tliaian..average'of .about;forty members are'-to l^.found; (rf>.tlie.'clnb-.oji : Sanday. mornings and evenings,/'and .that v.tl-ey consume each: Sunday-' (on. the , average) about twenty. gallons ,<>f liquor;<" Some-iOf■ these "men have,: bedii : ' seen: uM.ery'the influence of liquor, on- Sundays. l : -:-?-:.•.: ■ I consider that;the evidence discloses:an abuse of the '-locker system ,by certain sections of the club's members. A,v the inquiryl almost' all itheomembers' and-.oom-; mitteemon.exatnfaied eiatedi-that/-they were ■ in favour of the abolition-of .the lockers: • It is' clearithat they are used for. the benefit:of ■' a' small.- t>art.;of: the. members, '• ,'and : the \ only;/, purpose \ Wmoh they -serve' isVtorenwurMe-Mrinknig'on Sundays.; v. ■:;:';;';'^'H 1 -;;;';:■;■ i;;; j; r;-'.-:;; ■ r ■;;■ ;■'■ -.'Afleged ; ;DTunkfennßss.:y;,;,-' v;> i. Tliat drunkennoss has been.'permitted on the^premises../ ,This ''oharge.' covers, cases:of■ drunkenness:which originated- on the club's premises, OS.well as cases where, members have come into the club,"either intoxicated" or. under .the:: influence.;-ra liquor. ■' The evidence:' in support.-.- of the chargo consists of the .positive statements of/Ifessrs, Avery,' Mayfleld.rand Marsh, with-regard teethe.- c3sa3 ; ;'df..:dnittken- : nese within the club's- preihisAs,'.the.evi-' dence of persons.leayingr.the. premises: in .-.*'■ stite of intosdeationj: and the evidenco' of the obief oustbdian (Shokmottll that , he has, stopped 'the.supply.:, of liquor.', to as.'inany.os: a:'dozen'inen:m-:'4 week. : y There Vis: also 'the 'evidence of Several menibeTS/or 'committcemen, and, particularly, Manning, .who.: .deposed '.to members coming to the club on nights under the influence of iliqupr, 'and, by some means • or. other, •-. obtaining inore liquor at the 'club.---?. v'.'-.V..: ..'• -M , ;-:'-': ■■■"■ :■•>■ ■■- ■ There are : further. the secretary s letter."61 ■•' September.' .16, ■ 1908,- - to Mr.. ' ( Slatthews exhibit ? T-7,'his'letters'of-May 25,! 1909. exhibit "G"), : : and- of-.September 18,; 1909 exhibit "H") his;' letter!, : of April 27,'1910-(exhibit:'!"), to:.Carey, his letter of April ,27, 1910 ; (exhibit 'fJ"): ; to W..A. Doherty, his letter of' June 9; 1910; to the chief custodian (exhibit "K"), calling his ; . attention to' the fact: -tot liquor had' been supplied J'to persons in-, a: state of intoxicationV.: and ..the:-:fact | that. menibers and visitors oonsumei on: an average, n*arly;.:3oo gallons of-'liquor per : Wed:, exclusive .of spirits and .soft, drinks. .■-.'■.:- The .evidence: for 'the,:club ; consisted of a general denial that;drunkenness had been permitted on. the '■■ premises, .and- a; narration of stops' taken by the committee and , the custodian . to "prevent'its fOCcUTr ,rence. : - 'O-^V ;:P'' : ' ,; ■'■]'■ r : :'-'-'-' : - : '' : ,"},■';. In, my opinion, the weight of evidence supports tne -charge,-and goesito; show, that/besides. the' 1 offenders: dealt/With \by Uie committee,. there must: have : been. :a great number" of cases that/have:'never come under" their; notice, or :been reported by .the custodians. ,:v■'.';. W ..'■■'. ; •■"■".■-■..• J '/-, 5. That.liquor has ; been sold over 'the barton Sunday: ; The petitioners :failed to; prove this, charge.,....;. ..: .-;. ;; ; ■:..- -.■•".-.';. ;| ■-";■'■■.: Alleged improper Langiiaje.:;: ,6. That: bad lauguage has, been used .in the dub. I The .'only .complaint against members'■ for' this offence: was' made by Gray, who lives noxt door' to;■ ; tHe • club's premises. -He > complained II on two .occasions, once to the; president, who had tho matter investigated,. and-once .to-: the police, but no Court proceedings followed. The second t complaint was: made: nearly a year ago. The language of -was heard at night, ta,a. right-of-way; between the club and Gray's house,; and ho stated,that hb'h'a'd"been annoyed by: hearing, bad -language-on.a 'number/of occasions in this : right-of-way. There:, is :a presumption -that tho -.-'language' complained of was used by members of, or visitors 1 to, the-club, but the offenders were not identified by ; Gray/ as; ■ boing either members'Or visitors; It is admitted that bad language has been used in the club, but not .more than :is usual among a large body of men, -such as members of this or similar* clubs. Members of the committee say that the-cases of bad language are with, either, by reprimand or suspisnsion, and the, secretary's letters of, May 25,: 1909, and September 1, 1909, to one Spiers (copies of, which are attached to: the evidence, as exhibils "G" and "H"), indicate Uie method of dealing. With such .;. Oa the wholo, I om not prepared to say. that the offence is one o£ more than ordinary occurrence.:./, : : i: . : : ; ::r ; \A •;.':':'. General ManagonienL: . - ~" i :■'■ 7. That tlio' management;of".the club, genei'ally, has been ikdj I think \ the findings on the oharges.of.card-plaj-ingfor' drinks, gambling, drunkenness on! the club's premises, and the abuse of the locker system;are suffioiont to: show that there.is considerable room'for improve-: ment in the management, of ,the dub. The evidence points to the.fact that the committee have no systematic ..method of supervision over members, and that riiany cases . of breaches of.- the.,rules arc \mreported, and consequently are not dealt 'with. That they have acted in a number of "instances,, during .the ; last;, two years,' is evident from. the .secretary's, letters (exhibit "L") to various members,'oWr

and -above those specially ■ referred;]».; ''i-Vf-The unpleasant duties, which,neoKsar- A-'- i! Uy fall to i the lot. of committeem^in-in -ivi the course, of management, do not seiim to ,:; have, been equally. shouldered by. .'these,/;'. ';_ officers. Some. say ,that. they; have;! seeai-'"'■?■; and heard .members committing •■ breaches'--, i ' ■■: of tho rules, on a number of occasions!, but have seldom checked '■ or reported tite .of- ;.;■■- fenders.' One member stated that K«J con-. -. sidered• tji'at this wprk;should be.carried:.;■; out by the custodian.'but in a. 'numtter!of,:; .; '• instances, there has been failure Von the: '£■?: part of the custodians to carry- out.' this V;j>. part of, their duty'.- This is seen jjfronlv';;;'' the secretary's letter':of.'.'■'■'Uimmtoei , .,'. '■■ 10,. ', :i ISO 9, to the second'custodian repriioand-fiS?;.: ing him. for faUure. to a.disjbrrjj- Vr; ; .'. ance, and' from" the. secretary (letters of .':■, June 9, 1910) to the chief custodian'j call- -:->j ing attention to the -v duty in .serving intoxicated persons.j thor evidence: is' found in "the statjjment >;'•-; of,-Manning, who .says that, the jjust«>;Vj>.-,'' dians have often been; reprimanded "'for. T ; .-■• neglect of dutyi ' It may be.assumedLwith : ff:,:. some'certainty that, if the' cases, oi mis-,'.;:: conduct;;referred to m'-'--.tiie;":secrecery?eVv'.S : letter have been Teported, and dealt|-wfth -Vain two years,'.a considerable-numliervcif i-r':,. : offeriflers. must ; have,' escaped ..'■ correction.;-;;' The laxity of the system is also seen from r v.'{ a -perusal of the ..visitors , ;.'book;. : i /The; ;' : }; rules provide that each visitor ...to ;- ; the -Ajf, ■club must sign the ; book v as mustS-,lβ also the member, introducing; him. ••but#.li ; - it: would lie safe to: say .that:fully. , half-.of the visitors to the cMj ;enter and;-:----?!»-leave withbut sigmng. : As -a. record,.rf:;;;-.: visitors the book is incomplete:and-;0f.;!>.%; little'vvalue. . The iull,evidence,.taken; at&K the; inquiry, is appended td. i ith.e''report.:,;|; ; .; : ; f.

. .The-Hqh;D. Buddo informed:a- Dominiqs!K':; reporter 'last night'that the reportbeen sent on. to;.the crab, with- a^:view , ,!?,; bo eliciting aay commenfa'T»,hich' , itiinignt i ;i'. ■ wish 'to' make on '■■ its -contents. ;:■ In;: the • '■■£ meantinie the. report: had.'not'.coite , .up ii'i; for. consideration "at ; " the; hands' ;<if<; the.jf ( : Goyenunehi. ; : 'A.deputation from; tHe: club j;. would 'wait'on him brcTuesday, ference :;to.; tie .matter^. , .: •.'''.; '.■":;■:.; v-. ; ; ;;';£'f)'y