LICENSEE CHARGED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 974, 15 November 1910, Page 4

LICENSEE CHARGED.

AILEGED SUNDAY TKADING.

■ A case of alleged Sunday trading waa heard at the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr. W. G. Eiddell, S.M.,'when Frederick Dobson, licensee of the Masonic Hotel, Cuba Street, was charged with beeping his premises open for the sale of liquor on October 30 and with exposing liquor for sale on the same date. Sub. Inspector Norwood prosecuted, and Mr. Gray appeared for the defence. Both. charges were heard together. Arising out of the chaTges against the licensee there was an information against John Domenech for being found without lawful excuse on the premises of the Masonic Hotel on October 30.

Evidence was given for.the prosecution to the' effect that Sergt. Stewart,. of Mount Cook, was on plain-clothes duty on Sunday, October 30, and at abont twenty minutes to 10 o'clock in the morning he went to the Masonic Hotel, in company with Constable Glynn. They walked through to the private bar, and there found Dobson, Domencoh, and a barman named Avery. Dobson toad a glass containing liquor in his band, there was a glass by Avery, and another glass on the counter, One of • the screens enclosing the bar was open, and the porter was behind the counter scrnbbing out. In defence it was stated Ehat the barman had been engaged in cleaning out the front bar earlier rn the morning, had been given a drink by Dobson, and thej were still, in tho private bar, which ia used as a smoke-room on Sundays, when. Domenech called to keep an appointment with Dobson and also to get some change for use in his dining-rooms that day, Domeneoh had no liquor in the house, the third glass on the counter having been used by a lodger a few minutes before the police arrived. In reference to the charge of exposing liquor for sale it was contend, ed that the screen of the bar was open to, allow the porter to do lis work, that all the bottles were in their proper places on the shelves and could not be seen unless by specially going round to the end of the counter, where the screen was open. The magistrate reserved his deoision until to-morrow.