A LICENSING QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 63, 7 December 1917, Page 5

A LICENSING QUESTION

RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC REGARD-ING-HOTELS; (By Teleeranh—Snecial - Correspondent.) • Marton,\Deoember 6. A case of .vcry.,great interest to hotelkeepers and ■ the'■' travelling public ■was dealt with at.-the Marton Court, when Charles Stuart; ■ liconsee of the Marton Hotel,- was- charged with exposing liquor for sale after hours. Mr. Cohen, counsel-for the defence, pointed out that £ho landlord had taken a party of two lodgers and B. M'Caul and ihis., children in. his motorcar to a shearing match on Sunday morning. On Tektning,. the landlord invited them to have, a drink. More they went homeland they all went into the hotel. There was no suggestion of any other drinking going on at the time, and there was no attempt.at concealment of ilie party's doings, and they all partbnk of drink at the pub.lican's invitation."!'He believed that i there was a great misconception on the part of licensees, the .public,-and the police as to ■whaLw.a.s.the actual meanjng of the Licensing Act. A publichouse was a public-house for the convenience- of the- public, subject only, of course, to restrictions'as to'the sale of liquor, and any person had a right to be in n public-bin fje at nny lioiir of the day or night, on any .day or night, provided the publicaji. permitted him to be thero. Any person had a right at any timo of .the. day or night tn be in a public-house,-and to remain there and consume liquor there, either m the bar or elsewhere, provided ho was a bona-fide guest of the wiblican or a lodger. A doctor, attending'a patient in an hotel had no more right be there than anv.other person had.'. The doctor had only the same right ns any other person, that is, the riizlit to be there on lawful business. Tlio public should know what their" fights aro in this respect, and they would thus avoid terrorism by any. official. There were not ten policemen in a hundred in New Zealand who, if they were asked whether a person had a right to be in an hotel after hours, but would reply in the negative. The Magistrate concurred witli the views expressed by Mr. Cohen, • and dismissed the case.