SALE OF WINE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 156, 20 July 1937, Page 14

SALE OF WINE

Maker Fined For Supplying Men in Works Camp . A suggestion that the Public Works employees 0f the camp at Claverley were prevented from working because of wine consumed, was made when six charges under the Licensing Act of 1908, and the Amendment Act of 1914. were preferred against Edmund Henry Eccles holder of a wine-maker's licence, at a sitting of tlie Magxstrate's Court before Mr H. A. Young, J3.M. Eccles was fined" £10 on one of three charges of selling less than 2 gallons of wine at a time, convicted and discharged on th(» other two, and eonvicted and discharged on charges of selling a bottle of wine not bearing a label with the name and address of the licensee, and two of - selling liquor at a time when the premises should have heen closed. Eeteetive-Sergeant T. Holmes, who conducted the case for the police, said Eccles's dwelling was close to the Public Works camp, where 400 'men wero employed. The .drink sold w.as strong, and the men had been unable to" work properly after taking some. The police had examined Eccle's storerooms, which were found to be liousing large quantities of wine and cider. Eor the defcndant. who pleaded guilty, Mr Tliomas said Ecelcs was a rcputabl© man with a clean record. He actually gave away more wine than he sold and his saies were to cover expenses. Moreover the breaches wero not serious and the results would proh ably have been similar if the wine liad been sold with in the law. Disallowing the police request i'ni eancellation of Eccles's licence, the Magistrate pointed out that it was the first convictiou of the kind in the pro* vince uiider the Lxcencing Act, axid he did not thxnlv endorsement of tho licence was justified.