BOTHER ABOUT BEER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 370, 17 June 1911, Page 5

BOTHER ABOUT BEER.

At tha Migstrate's Court on Thursday morning, before Mr F. O'B. Loughnan, S.M., E. B. Dufaur, of Auckland, was charged with having sent liquor into the King Country, a proclaimed area, without having supplied to the Clerk of the Court at Te Kuiti a statement in writing of the name and address cf the person sent to and the quantity. E. Cousin, Wendell and Co. Knock and Hyde, Auckland (Mr Finlay), J. Darrow, Raglan (Mr Finlay), A. T. Lake, Wajtara (Mr Finlay), D. J. Cooper. Kihikihi (Mr Finlay), and the Great Northern Brewery Co., Auckland (Mr A. F. Howarth) were similarly charged. With the exception of the cases against Messrs J. Darrow A. T. Lake, and D. J. Cooper, all the defendants had sent notices to the Clerk of the Court at Taumarunui, and Wendell and Co. to Waimiha. In the case of Knock and Hyde, Mr Finlay said that the Clerk of the Court at Taumarunui had written to that firm asking thern to forward notices to him. The letter was dated May 10, and was written prior to the new Act coming into force. The firm bad a special book for such notices, and had made an honest attempt to comply with the law. Constable Mathew said that it was j the business of these people to read the Gazette and ascertain the proper place to forward these notices. Mr E. Cousin in defence stated that he had been sending liquor into the Taumarunui district for the past six or seven months, and had always forwarded notices to that place. He was unaware that he was doing wrong until ha got the summons. He considered that the Clerk at Taumarunui should have notified him that he was sending the notices to the wrong officer. -Mr Finlay, for Messrs A. T. Lake and D. J. Cooper, referred to the fact that these men were before the Court last month, and that the cases preferred against them took place before the last Court sitting. A great number of mistakes had been made in Waitara previous to this due to ignorance. He considered the cases should be dealt with by his Worship as he had dealt with the others against defendants on last Court day. His Worship said that he had given public warnings in January and May when he notified everybody that in future the punishment would be more severe. He considered that these public warnings were sufficient and he did not want the vendors of liquor to continue thinking that the Magistrate still lets people off. Mr Finaly contended that the offence had been committed before the warning.

In the case against the Great Northern Brewery, Mr Howarth said that this firm did a. very large business in the King Country, and it was the first time they had been brought before the Court for a breach of the Licensing Act. The firm could not understand why the notice had been sent to Taumarunui, and could only account for it as a clerical error. This company had ascertained what the law was and was complying with it from a systematic standpoint. Hia Worship in giving judgment in the case of E. B. Dufaur said that this was a second offence. In January last he dismissed a case preferred against Dufaur, owing to it being a new Act. It was the duty of vendors of liquor to ascertain which Clerk of the Court they had to send notices to. Dufaur had not done what was required. It was a deliberate offence, and he had deliberately remained in ignorance despite the fact that he had been before the Court on a former occasion. He seemed to prefer to remain in ignorance instead of being diligent. One of the elementary principles of justice was that ignorance of the law was no excuse. He convicted and fined the defendant £2 and costs. In all the other cases defendants were convicted and fined £1 and costs. M. Hetet, a Native (Mr Finlay) was charged with supplying Whare Bell, a half-caste, with liquor, and also with aiding and counselling in the procuring of liquor. Mr Finlay entered a plea of guilty, and remarked that it was the first case of its kind in Te Kuiti. Constable Mathew said that cases of the kind were becoming very common, but there was considerable trouble in detecting them. Maoris were at present receiving far too much liquor. His Worship inllictej a penalty of £5 and costs 7s in the first case, and 5s and 7s costs in the second. A young man named Harkiss was charged with bringing liquor into a proclaimed area without having it labelled. Accused related that he had signed for the liquor at Kihikihi, and thought it was all right. Coming down in the train accused saw Constable Capp aboard and asked him about the matter. Constable Capp took possession of the liquor. Accused was convicted and fined 10s and costs. George Jecklin and Alfred Wright, of Kawhia, were charged with having procured liquor from J. Darrow, of Raglan, without giving his full name and address, and a statement in writing of the name and address of the persons ordering the liquor. Mr Darrcw in reply to his Worship, said that both orders were by telegram, and he knew both accused intimately, who were tradesmen residing in Kawhia. His worship dismissed the cases.