LIQUOR FOR- ASHBURTON.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 March 1924, Page 1

LIQUOR FOR- ASHBURTON.

ASHBURTON, March 28.

Dalgety and Company, Ltd., Christchurch, were convicted and lined 20s lor sending two gallons of whisky and two dozen quarts of witio into tho no-lit-enso district of Ashburton, without simultaneously notifying the Clerk of the Court Defendant's explanation was that the. letter was placed out for posting in tho usual way and that apparently delay occurred in the Postal Department. The police evidence stated that- the liquor was dispatched oil March (til. The letter bore the postmark of March 10. The .Magistrate, in convicting, said tiiat the acceptance of the defendant’s explanation would prevent conviction in all other similar eases. The onus was on the vendor to furnish tho Clerk of tho Court the necessary order immediately. Of course, it was known tiiat the usual method was to post the notice simultaneously with the sending of the liqnuor and the notice would come on hv the first available mail. If the mail was held up For any reason it was very questionable, in his opinion, if that onus would he discharged by ’the vendor. It, was an important tiling for the police to know where liquor was going and all about it. He must consider, also, the effect there had been of so much sly-grogging in (lie district, and it was very important to tho district itself that- the police should know about the liquor simultaneously with its arrival. “I must hold people strictly to account that they shall send notices into the legal authorities in sufficient time to enaldc tile police to trace it,” the Magistrate said. “In this case the liquor was sent on Friday and would reach here at latest on Saturday. The police did not know anything about it until Tuesday. Therefore the whole object of the Act was defeated."