Caution to Hotelkeepers.

Manawatu Herald, 29 January 1898, Page 3

Caution to Hotelkeepers.

1 WHO ARE TRAVELLERS. - la a Sunday trading case heard at Wellington the Stipendiany Magist rate Mr Kenny said it was admitted that in this case there were only two questions to be decided. The first was whether the barmaid's story could be accepted, and the second waa whether the barmaid was honestly satisfied that the persons served with drinfe were travellers, after taking all reasonable precaution*. As to the first question, he must accept the barmaid's evidence as correct. As to the statements subsequently made by two of the men that they were hot travellers, and had never represented that they were, those statements were probably made by them to save their own skins. He (Mr Kenfty) I ' had come to the conclusion that the barmaid honestly believed that the men were travellers. But he must find that she did not take all reasonable precautions to ascertain thai; such was the case. She simply said, "Are you travellers?" .One of them replied, " Y|B ; we came from the [ Kennedy to day." All the barmaid knew was that* the Kennedy was a Bteamer tradiDg out of Wellington. Wiihout going the length of saying (hat the barmaid put the question as a mere sham, it seemed to him that she should have asked other questions -if she wished to make her employer lafe She should have asked what - port the Kennedy was last from, what the men were travelling for, and who they were ? He quite ad* mitted that the law in this respect seemed to be harsh to landlords. Probably the only safe course would be for them to have a form with a number of columns for the name ol the traveller, where he was going to the object of his journey, and where be slept on the previous night ; and to make persons who staked they were travellers sign this form* In f,iot, ife might be a very good thing jf the Legislature made such a lyitem eonittulsory' A man wfar

said he was traveller should be cross examined as to his name, where hp waa going to, and the object of his journey. It was not sufficient to accapt such and answer as, " I come from a steamer." The casa ended in a substantial fine being inflicted.