THE LICENSING BENCH.

NZ Truth, Issue 64, 8 September 1906, Page 5

THE LICENSING BENCH.

lawyers Properly Heckle the Police.

At the quarterly meeting of the Licensing Committee on Tuesday, Mr Earl, solicitor, metaphorically wiped the floor with the police saying some very disagreeable and pointed things anent blue-bottles' methods, what time these ' injured innocents looked on v with an air of long-sufiering. The whole biz arose out of a report on the Fitzroy Hotel, Wakefield-street, of which George Tayler is licensee. This report ran :— "This house is very badly conducted. Sunday trading is strongly suspected. Several drunken persons were recently found on the premises. The facts connected with this will, however, be the subject for consideration of another tribunal."

Whatever cause Mr: Earl may have for the charges he brought against the peeler push, it strikes any thinking man that they are not actuated : by fairness m making charges m a licensing report ' which are still sub judice. What justice is there m making allegations that Tayler had drunken men on his premises when m the next line they have to admit that this charge is not yet tried by a court of law and therefore Tayler is innocent, as we are told to consider any man .is, until he is found guilty i according to the ordinary canons of the law. But apparently the Auckland police have found another law code of their own. Solicitor Earl did not mince his words m challenging the report. He told the licensing committee that he thought he would be able to prove that the action of the police towards Tayler was tyrannous, and of such a character as the committee would not countenance for one moment. According to Mr Earl's instructions their ■ methods amounted to positive persecution. His client only got the summons the day before the charge was made known to the committee. Was that fair treatment ?

Sujb-Inspector Gordon, wearing a positively bored air, said again that the house was badly conducted and added that his information was much stronger than that which would be put before the court.

Lawyer Earl retorted that he had six witnesses and wanted them heard. The charge was a general one that the house was improperly conducted, and Tayler meant to fight it out.

Eventually the licensing committee took the only proper course and adjourned the matter until Tayler had answered the charges brought against him, at the police court. Another boniface hauled up. was E. Y. Buller, qi the Grosvenor Hotel. It appears that this pot juggler only recently took over the hotel, but before he had time to know his customers and tell t'other from which, sober and drunken, the police landed on him with both feet. Their report to the committee read : "Indifferently conducted. A number of semi-in-toxicated man, with prostitutes, were found on the premises on the occasion of a surprise visit by the police a few nights ago." So before Buller had hardly settled down comfortably to rake m the shekels he had to chase round to interview the committee. His jiawyer said the licensee had previously kept houses at Patumahoe end Otahuhu and had no time to judge his customers before the police reported him. His client had now given instructions that no women were to be served at the Grosvenor and he pointed out that prostitutes swarmed m Albertstreet and its neighborhood. He mildly hinted that the police were not doing their duty to allow them to congregate and remain.

Sub-Inspector Gordon was naturally indignant at the suggestion of anything bein«- wronr with the noiice hut expressed Gratification at the licensee's intention not to serve thirsty females m future^