LICENSING GASES.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 545, 15 October 1902, Page 2

LICENSING GASES.

MR BEETHAM .MAKES ANOTHER CHARACTERISTIC SPEUoIi. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. At ilie Magistrate's Court this morning. Mr Beetl.ani, S.M.. fined Arthur Craddock, licensee of aie Ea:uern Hotel, twenty pounds, and oraered las license to lie endorsed, on a charge of supplying liquor to an intoxicated man and allowing drunkenness on the premises. The ti.ciimstantes were that tlie man woo pro cured the drink had been suffering from the results of a prolonged drinking bout, and it is alleged was contemplating suicide His friends pra - tic-ally arranged with a cunsUiple to have the man arrested as soon as possible to secure him the henelit ol medical treatment. The defence urged that there was nothing to show that the man was drunk on the particular day when lie was served at the Eastern. though suffering from the effects of previous drunkenness. The barman said that he did not particularly notice the man when he served him. The .Magistrate stated that publicans had the privilege of selling liquor and they also had great responsibilities. The hotels were only run for the brewers, and with one object—to sell beer, no matter to whom. When they learned to recognise their responsibilities, the public would be protected from this slushing away of beet, no matter what, might be the condition of the buyer. He refused to consider the point that the licensee himself was not present at the sale of the liquor.

WHAT CONSTITUTES A TRAVELLER ? By telegraph—Press Association— CHRISTCHURCH, last night. At the Magistrate's Court to-day, Thomas Clark, a publican at Sumner, was lined -10 s and costs, and the license endorsed, for a breach ol the Licensing Act. On a recent Sunday, it appeared, a man arrived at Sumner by train, and was supplied with refreshments at one of the hotels. About forty minutes later lie went to Clark’s hotel, where he also obtained liquor. The Magistrate held that the publican had not taken reasonable precautions to satisfy himself of the bona tides of lus customer. It was not enough to accept a mere statement that a customer was a traveller. A publican knows that a traveller is only entitled to refreshment on arrival from a journey, and it was clearly against all reason and commonsenise to suppose, that a traveller should be allowed to go from house to house procuring drinks.