SOLICITING LIQUOR ORDERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 626, 10 December 1913, Page 5

SOLICITING LIQUOR ORDERS.

A 3CHNICAL POINT. IMPORTANT LEGAL ARGUMENT. A case of considerable interest throughout the Dominion waa beard at the Magistrate's Court, Te Kuiti, yesterday, when a charge of soliciting orders for liquor was preferred against G. Lux, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Te Awamutu. There wad no suggestion of a wilful breach of the licensing laws on the part of Mr Lux, the charge referring to an advertisement which he had printed on the railway hoarding. Sergeant Rowell appeared for the police, and stated the case was in the nature of a test case to determine whether the fact of advertising in the manner referred to constituted a breach of the Act. Mr Finlay appeared for the defence and argued that soliciting orders as referred to in the Act meant a direct application to s person for orders. The clause in question was never intended to apply to an advertisement of the nature indicated. He held that such an interpretation of the Act would be altogether opposed to the general acceptance of the term used. A further point raised by Mr Finlay was of considerable importance, being practically on all foui'3 with the point under which the wholesale liquor licenses at Awakino were granted. Counsel contended that as the railway land upon which the advertisement appeared was freehold prior to the issuing of the proclamation which prohibited liquor in the district the proclamation as applied to the railway land was ultra vires. His Worship said the points were of extreme importance and he would reserve judgment.