NAPIER PUBLICAN WINS THIS TIME

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1948, Page 5

NAPIER PUBLICAN WINS THIS TIME

NAPIER, October 13. Information laid by the police against James Clifford Bolgar, aged 28, licensee of the Caledonian Hotel, for after-hour trading was dismissed by Mr Sinclair, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court. Giving his decision on the first information related to August 25, Mr Sinclair said:—

“Sergeant Wilson and a constable went into the hotel at 8.25 p.m. and found three men drinking. “Interrogated, they said they had booked in. Two said they had not paid, but one said he had. “When the police went to the office they saw the register and found the men had been given room numbers as lodgers. Apparently a receipt book ' was there but was not shown to, or asked for, by the police. Neither were the men asked for receipts. “There is no evidence to show when the money was paid over. Next morning the police returned and found those rooms had apparently not been slept in. “This is not conclusive as they could have been occupied. The hotel books show that payment had been made and the money appears to have been banked.

“There is every evidence of a genuine transaction. That these men had no luggage is not wholly conclusive. “The licensee may have been ‘taken in’ as they might have used this means to obtain a night’s drinking. The situation is no without a great deal of doubt.

“There were similar conditions on the evening of August 18. Three seamen again appeared to be genuine lodgers. “The licensee was entitled to treat them as bona fide lodgers as he had received their money. They had beds on their ships and were not normal travellers, but may have booked in for the purpose of drinking. “The licensee has said he dare not refuse accommodation and he had done all he could.”

A case against Joseph Hurley, barman at the Caledonian Hotel, for serving after hours, was also dismissed.