LIQUOR SUPPLIED TO GIRLS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 371, 27 February 1937, Page 5

LIQUOR SUPPLIED TO GIRLS

NELSON LICENSING CASE.

MAGISTRATE'S COMMENT

Publican Fined For Several Beraches Of The Law.

Press Association—Copyright. Nelson, Last Night. “I regard this case as probably the worst I have had before me since I have been at Nelson—that is in the past 14 or 15 years—and I cannot see one redeeming feature about it! it is a very serious state of affairs." This comment was made by Mr. T. E. Maunsell, S.M., when hearing charges against Daniel Ladislas Mahar, licensee of the Belgrove Hotel, for selling liquor after hours and supplying liquor to girls under the age of 21. Mahar was charged with exposing liquor for sale after hours on December 19, selling liquor after hours on. December 20, and on four counts with supplying liquor to girls under the age of 21. Senior-Sergeant C. Petersen said that some of the facts were known to the magistrate, having come to light during an inquest on a fatal accident at Wai-Iti. Liquor had been sold in th evening to patrons going to a dance and after midnight there were at least 20 people at the hotel and being supplied with liquor. These included four young women, 'the youngest of whom was 14J, the others being 15J, 171, and 20.

"The supply of liquor to young girls at any time is looked on very seriously,” remarked the senior-ser-geant,” but more seriously when it is done indiscrimiately by licensees at hotels."

Mr. Brodie, for Mahar, said he thought there was little that could be said for any publican knowing he was supplying liquor to young girls, but something might be said for Mahar. The girls were all in evening frocks and did not look like young girls. Mahar had had no previous convictions against him. The seniorsergeant had mentioned an accident, but Mclvor and Biggs were there earlier in the evening| As far as the girls were concerned, they were not there until 12.30 the following morning. Any drinking at that time had no relation to the death that occurred in the accident.

“What I regard as serious,” said the magistrate, “is the supplying of liquor to those attending dances at a late hour, and it is more particularly serious when it is supplied to women. It is a highly obnoxious practice which is gradually growing up. I am going to stop it if I possibly can. Any licensee who is detected supplying liquor to girls can expect to be very seriously dealt'with. I am seriously considering whether I should not endorse the licensee’s license.

“It is serious also in this respect,” he continued; “the hotel is a difficult on to supervise. I hope that in future when dances are held in that locality the police will see if there is any drinking going on then inform me|”

Mahar was a first offender and it had been laid down that there should be no endorsement for first offenders, but he was going to show no consideration in the matter of fines, said the magistrate. He imposed fines of £5 1/s and costs on each of the charges relating to the supplying of liquor to girls, £2 and 10s costs for exposing liquor, and £3 and 10s for selling liquor after hours. Mr. Brodie asked that leniency be extended in this case.

The Magistrate.: “I am sorry, but if this is a case where I can extend leniency, I cannot conceive of a case where the penalty should be heavy. He has been flagrantly ignoring the law. f have seen some comments in the Press by people interested in social matters, and it has been disturbing the minds of many parents in New Zealand.”