A LICENSING SCANDAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3774, 19 September 1907, Page 3

A LICENSING SCANDAL.

In the case against Mr H. JFletcher, licensee of the Criterion Hotel, Christchurch, a number of witnesses gave evidence of what went on in the hotel, of which the following is a fair sample : Jessie Moir stated that she had been employed as a barmaid at the New Criterion Hotel for about six months. She left about the end of July last. There were usually six, and sometimes seveu, barmaids employed dining her time. Witness had seen excessive drinking going on. and had witnessed a good deal of champagne drinking. The champagne, she said, was shouted by customers. This was not a usual thing, but it was done at times, perhaps once a fortnight, and Mrs Green was aware of it. She had told witness to ask customers if they wanted to shout champagne. Witness carried out these instructions, as did the other barmaids. Witness and the others drank a good deal of champagne, and Mrs Green also drank it. As a result of the champagne-drink-ing, witness and other barmaids were sometimes made the worse for liquor. That happened now and again. On several occasions Mrs Green participated in the drinks, which were supplied in nearly all parts of the house. Drink had been supplied to servants in the kitchen by customers, and had been taken up to the bedrooms of the barmaids. Questioned as to how often this occurred, the witness hesitated for some time, and then said that it happened sometimes during lunch hour, and sometimes on Sundays. She had seen champagne being taken to Miss Fox’s room, and she had also seen a man taking whisky into the same room. There were other occasions on which customers took drink to the barmaids while they were in their bedrooms. Both Mr and Mrs Green were in the house at the time. Mrs Green was sometimes in the bedrooms when drink was being supplied. Whenever champagne was being shouted, Mrs Green would go in and have a glass. Drink had been supplied in the office near the bar. Witness had been dismissed from the hotel because she had a disagreement with Mrs Green. Mrs Green got her to drink a quantity of champagne, and she was ill in the morning. Witness said that it was Mrs Green’s fault, and that she had induced and encouraged her to drink. Witness did not drink at all before she went to the Criterion. Witness had seen Mrs Green drinking champagne with customers in the office,'and had seen her sitting on the knees of customers while the drink was going on. Mr Green had gone into the office, and had seen the barmainds there drinking with customers. On the 4th of the present month, witness was asked to go into the hotel, as she wanted to speak to her. Witness refused to go in the front way, and ultimately went in the back way and had a conversation in a bedroom. Mrs Green asked witness if she had made a statement against her, and asked her to go back on her word, or, at least, not appear before the committee. Mrs Green told her if she agreed she would find a tenner in her pocket and that no action could betaken against witness even if she had signed a statement. Witness was at the Criterion Hotel from before the opening of the Exhibition till about six months ago, and the drinking of champagne continued on and off during that period. It was more prevalent at some times than at others. To Mr Harvey : Witness was a discharged servant, and had been in Mr Green’s employ for about three years. She left some time in July last. She did not know that the police had recently been paying much attention to the house. She had not been previously discharged by Mrs Green —she had been discharged only once. Never longer than a fortnight elapsed without champagne being shouted. She w T as sure that most of the things she had detailed occurred either during or before the Exhibition,

On the occasion when you say the man took whisky to Miss Fox’s room, she had had some of her teeth taken out?—Shedidn’t want three whiskies because of her teeth, (daughter). Were you not discharged because you took a whisky neat for supper one night ?—No; I took a glass of ginger ale, which didn’t have the effect of making me drunk—l was already drunk. There was no whisky in the ginger ale. Continuing, witness stated that she was in the employ of Mr Green when he was licensee of the Occidental Hotel, and was employed by him for two years and a half. To Mr Stringer : It was only while she was at the Criterion that she had any cause for complaint.The sort of thing she described did not go on at the Occidental. Do you know Miss Taylor, a barmaid in the house ?—Yes. Do you know if she was in the habit of receiving men in her bedroom ? Mr Harvey objected. The Chairman said the Committee wanted the facts without any strict adherence to the law of evidence. Witness: I have seen a man in her bedroom. While she was in bed ?—Yes. Did that happen often? —Yes, while the man was in the house. This man was a lodger?—Yes. He stayed for eight or nine weeks. To Mr Harvey; She was employed at the Criterion for about six months.