LIQUOR SUPPLIED TO YOUNG GIRLS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 37, 27 February 1937, Page 8

LIQUOR SUPPLIED TO YOUNG GIRLS

— Presa , . Associtttiou.)

Stiff Fines Imposed at Nelson "0BN0XI0US PRACTICE"

(iJy Telegraph

/ • : ; NELSON, Last Night. "I regar^d this case !as • probably - - the pjforst , I have had i before me since I •have been in Nelson, that is, m the last 14 or 15 years. I cannot see . one ra-1 jdeeming feature, about it. It is a very jserious state oi affairs. ' ' . This comment was. made by the Magistyate, Mr. 'T. -B. :Mauhsell, when hearing charges against Daniel Ladislas Mahar, licensea of the Belgrove Hotel, for selling liquor after -hours and. supplying liquor to ,'girls' nnder the age of 21. Mahar wa» icharged with exposing liquor for "sale after hours on* December 19, selling liquor after hours • on December 20 and four charges of supplying liquor to 'irirls under the . age of 21.

Senior^ergeant G, Petersen said that ;Some • of • the facts - were known to tho , Magistrate, - having come to light during jth© inqnest on a f atal accident at Wailiti, Liquor had been sold in tho eve•ning to patrona going to a dance, and after midnight thero wero at least 20 people at the hotel 'and being supplied with Bqnor. '* Theso included four, young women, tho yonngest of whom was 14J, other« being 15}, 17i and 20,"' The supply.of Hquor to young girls at any . timo is looked -on very seriously," zemarked tho - Senior^ergeant, "but moM-soriously,' whoa it fs -dono indiseriminatoly by Hoonsoos at hotols." Mr. Brodie, . for aeooaod, said ko thought that thero was littlo that could be said for' any publioan knowing he was supplying liquor tb - young girls, but something might be. said for Mahar. The ; girls were all ia ovening ; frocks and did not- • look ■ l&o - young girls. Mahar had had no psovious eonvietions against him. The - Soniox-Sergeant had mentioned tho- accident, ' but • Mclvori and • Biggs wero there earlier in the! evening. As far as the girls were con-t cerned, . they were not there untfl 12.301 ihe following morning. Any drinking! at that time had. no relation to the) death" that occurred in the accident. "What I xegard ss sciious," said 'Ihe Magistrate, .^is " tho : snpplj#bg o£ liquor - to "those attending, dances at a i late thftjasht,

..... . ■ ! . ' 7 eularfy seriouT wnen. w-ls ;«appUeI to women. - It is a-highly obnoxioua practiee, which is gradually growing up. I am going to. stop. tit if :.I.;possibly oao. Any lioensoo who ;is detected supplying . Hquor to . girls oan e^oet 'to- be - very seriously dealt with.- - 1 am 'seriously considerihg -whether-T ;shoiildK not f endorse -the - licensee's -license. It is serious ; also in ■ this xespeet/ ' he eontinued. "The hotel is a difficult one to snpervise. . I hope, in future^.that whon dances are held in . that looality, tho police will see if there is any drinking going on. and then .inf orm. me. " i Mahar was a first ojEonder, and it had ; been laid down that thercc should be no endorsemont for: first ; off elders, -bnt he was going to show no eonsideration in tho matter of fines, said tho Magistrate, who- imposed fines ,of '£5 " 10s*r and ' costs jon .each of the charges " relating to the .{supplying of Hquor to; girls,- £2 and -10s (costs for exposing liquor and £3 and 10s costs for selling Hquor af ter hours, Mr. Brodie asked' that:. lefiiency be extended in this ehse. '• The Magistrate: I am sorry, but, if this is a case where' I-eaa extend loniency, I cannot oonceive of a case where tho penalty should ,be . hoavy. Ho has been flagrantly; i^noring the law. "I have seen 'some cdxnmonts in thej • Press," .said Mr. , Maunsel, ."by ; people interested in social ^ matters, and it hasbeen disturbing tho ;rqinds of 'many par-' ents'in. New Zealand.'/