LICENSING PUZZLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1051, 15 August 1930, Page 13

LICENSING PUZZLE

WHEN IS A VISITOR NOT w A VISITOR?

uquor IN CLOSED hours

„ hoarder at an hotel invite a Can . have a drink during closed S” est onless he has legitimate busilour3 tn U discuss? And is the onus on o£ the hotel to find if the fts/wlTis legitimate before he serves were discussed at the rneue v to( jay when James NorPol a e bane licensee of the Carpenter’s .Hotel was charged with exposfor sale during closed hours, “Vwith keeping open tor sale Wil--0.1 e a boarder at the hotel, was J “hTrsted with assisting a third man ( “a r ocas to procure liquor. A plea I e ? g untTw.s P entered by Mr. Bag-, " Tie case, as outlined by the police, ; that on Sunday, June la, & serand constable gained admission 3 me hotel at 11.15 a.m. After going mne the passage they came to a Tm at the end of which was a bar, rtere two men were drinking. “when I asked the licensee who the 'men were he said that one was oj.g who was a boarder, and the S r was a mail named Lucas, a guest 7rW's” said the sergeant. Bigl’s story was that he had stayed he hotel the previous night and f„er breakfast on Sunday morning gone for a walk. He met Lucas U invited him to corno to the ho„el !»d have a drink. The licensee could *? show that Iligg had stayed at the hotel, as he said he did not keep full be disputed that a hoarder ,ent out and picked up another man ~ , he sole purpose of drinking 'ioßor ” said Sub-Inspector Shanahau. It has been held in previous cases ■iiat if the inviting party brought a ~n m solely for the purpose of drmkan offence has been committed nd the licensee is also responsible. Z onU s is on the licensee to know thether they have legitimate business tefore he serves them.’’ •Are you suggesting that this is the Jd*case of a paying boarder in the 1 muse?” asked Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. j The sub-inspector said there was no such suggestion, nor that the happing was a common one. Ur Bagnall pointed out that the licensee had been quite frank when luestioned. „ ~ "I can’t convict the licensee, said the magistrate. “However, he must &e more careful in future. The charges against him are dismissed.” In the case of Bigg, a fine ot £2 and 10s costs was inflicted, Mr. Hunt stating that the law was clear drink could be supplied only to a legitimate visitor.