SEIZURE OF BEER AT ASHBURTON.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2456, 18 February 1882, Page 4

SEIZURE OF BEER AT ASHBURTON.

On Thursday morning the local police seized several hundred dozen of bottled ale and stout on the premises of Messrs Wood and Co., of the Ashburton Brewery, and Messrs Quinton Bros., of Alford Forest Brewery, charging both firms with bottling beer on the premises in contravention of the Beer Duties Act. Yesterday Mr Alex. Rose, Collector of Customs, Christchurch, laid an information against Mr M. Digby, of the firm of Wood and 00., and the charge against this firm was heard yesterday at a special sitting at two o’clock, before Mr J. Beswiok, 8.M., Mr Deighton, R.M., of the Chatham Islands, also occupying a seat on the Bench. The Customs Collector appeared for the prosecution. In addition to the charge of beer-bottling on the premises there was a charge of defendants having failed to comply with the Act in not affixing the duty stamp in the prescribed place, namely, over the bung-bole. This offence was alleged to have been committed on 15th January, 20th April, and 30th July, 1881, and also on Monday last. Defendant was further charged with non-oanoellation of beer duty stamps, and with having drawn beer from some casks without destroying the duty stamps. The Collector stated that there wore four hogsheads outside the Court having stamps so affixed thet they could not be effaced by the removal of the bung. Mr Digby said ho would plead guilty to three of the casks having been improperly stamped, but added that no beer had been drawn from them. The collector stated that he had discovered a bottling syphon, constructed to bottle six bottles simultaneously, on the premises. The syphon was outside the Court. Defendant addressed the Court, stating that when the Act came in force he erected a separate bottling store apart from the main brewery, and the bottling had ever since been conducted in this new store. The bottled liquor found in the brewery had most of it been there before the Act was passed, was bad and unfit for sale, and, as a matter of fact, was never touched. The Bench said that the evidence showed that the clause providing for affixing duty-stamps had been infringed, and also the clause respecting bottling on the premises. Fines were inflicted on defendant to the extent of £9O, comprising a fine of £2O a cask for four casks not properly stamped, and £lO for bottling on the premises; any necessary costs incurred to be defrayed by defendant. The hearing of the charge against Messrs Quinton Bros, is pending.