OVERPROOF HOP BEER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 90, 22 March 1916, Page 3

OVERPROOF HOP BEER.

KING COUNTRY CASES. FINES OF £SO. The Oluira Advocate reports that there was a large and interested crowd of spectators at the Matiere Court on Friday, 10th insl., when Mary Sayers, Henry Bradshaw, Ernest Price and Andrew M. Riddell, were separately charged with carrying on the business of brewer without a license, hy brewing and selling hop beer more than 3.0 overproof, as allowed by the Aft. Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., presided, and Mr White appeared for Mrs Sayers, Mr Son they Baker for Bradshaw Price, and Riddell, Mr J. P. Rulings (Collector- of Customs) Auckland, appearing on behalf of the Department of Revenue. As Bradshaw pleaded not, guilty, stating that the offence was not done intentionally, formal evidence was taken in his ease only.

Constable Orchard, deposed, that on January 21st in company with Constable Fleming, he visited the defendants’ shop at Matiere and took samples of hop beer. Mrs Bradshaw was there. He told her that he was taking samples of hop beer for analysis. Three clean bottles were filled from a cask on tbo counter as supplied to customers. The bottles were then corked, wired, sealed and stamped. One bottle was left in the shop apd two others' taken away. ~ These,, together with the samples itaken in thedsame manner from the 1 Stivers, Price, apd ,Riddell' lie took to Auckland,' and gave into the hands ,qf the Government Analyst, i: Mr ! J. E. Parker, Government Analyst, stated that on February 3rd he received four samples of hop beer

from Constable Orchard. In each case he submitted the beer to analysis, and as a result ho found that of Riddells to he G.o, Bradshaw 5.5, Sayers 0.5, and Price 0.7. He reported the result of the analysis. To Mr Baker ; By keeping the beer there would not necessarily be any increase in strength. ,It was just as likely to decrease. To the Magistrate: By no possibility could the strength have increased from 3 to even 5.5. That is taken on actual tests. To Mr Baker: I am not hound to divulge any safe recipe for hop beer to prevent overproof. To Air White: It was. possible to make it slightly overproof, innocently. For instance; if the brewer (lid hot understand bis work, be may put in too much ~sugar. His Worship, in summing up the evidence, said be considered the : cases proved, hut was inclined to deal lepilontly with them as they were the first if the ‘kind to come before, him: in tins district. However, the .maximum. fine for this offence was .£20% .which the Magistrate had in his power to'reduce to one fourth if circumstances warranted it. Ho would have to iuHicfcHW penalty of £SO in each ease—and he would allow two months in which to pay the fine. As the Act seemed unduly hard—having evidently been framed for the protection of the revenue he would advise the Collector of Customs to make application to the Department for a rebate on the fines.