CLOSING OF BARS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 297, 4 September 1918, Page 6

CLOSING OF BARS

WHEN TROOPSHIPS ARRIVE A WAR REGULATION A War Regulation lias been gazetted making provision for the closing of hotels in ports of arrival on the.days when drafts of men return from the front. The regulation goes a little further than this, for it empowers the authorities to close the hotels when there comes into the port any ship carrying troops. Following arc the operative clauses of the regulation:— Before, upon, or after the arrival at the port of Auckland, Wellington, Lytttlioii, or iMnitidin (including Port Chalmers) of any ovonta. vessel carrying troops, the Coinmissioiier of Police or any Superintendent- of Police, upon receipt of a requisition on that belialf from tlio Minister f- Dtl'eiice, may publish a notice ordering that all licensed premises situated iviuiin the area to Be specified in ike notico ia accordance with the following provisions of this regulation shall be closed for the sale of. intoxicating liquor for such time as may be specilied in tho notice (not exceeding twenty-four hours on any one occasion). In the caso of the arrival of a vessel as aforesaid at tho port of Auckland, Wellington, or Dunedin the following area may be specified in any notice undor the foregoing provisions of this regulation—that is to soy, the area having a radius of fifteen miles from the Chief Post Office in the City of Auckland, Wellington, or Dunedin, as tho case may be. •

In tkecaso of the arrival of a vessel as aforesaid at the port, of Lyttelton the following area may be specified in any notice aforesaid—that is to say, an area having a radius of fifteen miles from the Chief Post Office in the City of Ohristchurch. °

Every notice under these regulations shall be published by being prominently displayed at or near the principal entrance of the polioo station or principal police station within tho area in which the notice is expressed to have effect.

_ While any notice under these regulations is in force with respect to any licensed premises' every person commits an offence against those regulations, and shall be liable under the War Regulations Act, 1914, accordingly, who, whether as principal or as servant or agent— (a) Sells or exposes for sale in. such premises any intoxicating liquor, or opens or keeps open sucn premises for the sale of intoxicating liquor, or allows any intoxicating liquor to be sold, or oxposod for sale, or to be consumed m such premises: or (b) Is found on such premises at any time when those premises are required pursuant to these regulations to bo closed for the sale of intoxicating liquor, unless he satisfies the Court that he was lawfully on the premises for a purpose'not conneoted with the sale or conscription of intoxicating liquor. For the purposes of these regulations the supply of intoxicating liquor for a pecuniary consideration on the premises of a chartered club under the Liconsing Act, 1908, shall be deemed to bo a salo of such liquor. While a notice under the regulations is in force within any area it shall not be lawful for tho holder of a wholesale license under the Licensing Act, 1908, to sell or deliver any intoxicating liquor within that area. ' While a notice under tho regulations is in force within any area it shall not be lawful for the holder of.a brewer's license to sell or deliver any beer within that area. In any proceedings for a breach of those regulations it shall be a good defenco if the defendant proves that when the offence was committed he did .not know and had no reasonable opportunity of knowing that a notice had been issued and was in force requiring licensed premises situated within tho , area within which such offence was committed to be closed for tho sale of intoxicating liquor.