BREAKING OF THE DROUGHT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1917, 27 November 1913, Page 8

BREAKING OF THE DROUGHT.

HOTEL BARS OPENED. After being closed for a full week the bars of the city hotels were reopened .yesterday morning, no prohibitory notice to the contrary having been served on licensees of hotel premises. ' In referring to the matter in the course ol a conversation yesterday,'the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke)'said that ho hoped that .the licensees would, in tiieir own interests, as well as that of the public, see. that there was no drinking to excess on their premises duriu" the present industrial trouble. He thought that he bad acted soundly in closing the. hotels from day to day by serving notices. His interpretation of the Act was that be had that power to close the bars in cases whore there were reasons to suppose that there might be a riot or tumult. Ho did not think, however, that it was competent for a Mayor to close,the hotels for an indefinite period. If, for example, a settlement were reached during the period of closure he would then be under the necessity of issuing notices revoking the order to close. It was rumoured yesterday that the Mayor's action in closing the hotels may be tested at law—perhaps in connection with the defence of a publican against whom proceedings are believed to be pending for alleged sale of liquor during the prohibited period. Yesterday business in most of the ■ city hotels wan a good deal brighter than ordinarily is the case. Many who would not trouble about a drink at all felt it incumbent on them to celebrate "the breaking of the drought." A little drunkenness was noticeable during the day, but no troubles arising out of drink were reported.