A RAMBLING REPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 186, 12 January 1912, Page 8

A RAMBLING REPORT.

A MATTER OF ROTTEN EGOS.

I By Telegraph—Press Association. • Christchurch, Last Night. ! The Christchurch Licensing Committee sat to-day to hear a complaint, lodged against Warner's Hotel, that, on general election night, rotten eggs were thrown from the building. The evidence of the police was to the effect that egga were thrown from the balcony or some other part of the building, where people congregated to see the posting of the election results. For the defence, evidence was called to prove that no eggs were thrown. The committee retired to consider their finding, and on returning, the: chairman (Rev. ». S. Gray) said the committee considered the police were abundantly justified in bring the charge. They did not, for a moment, agree that the matter was a storm in a tea-cup, as had been suggested. The committee believed that the police had quite proved their case. The evidence led for the defence was purely negative, and the committee accepted absolutely the evidence ; given by the police as to the facts. The committee did not think that the licensee, Mr. Palmer, was personally connected with the offences, and they made allowance for the fact that i<t was election night, and that Mr. Palmer could not exercise the same supervision over the hotel that he was supposed to do and presumably did on ordinaxy occasions. J

The committee reprehended verr strongly the language which Mr. Palmer and which had not been denied bfhim The committee disapproved also of the ki geStl .°\^ ch Mr - Pa3mer made to (Sergeant Miller, that if the sergeant would find him a man. The committee eld yer.y strongly that that should mot be the attitude of a licensee of a public house to any police officer, for an officer of the poj lce TO , S always an officer police so far as a public house was con-

_ The committee did not think they were justified in taking any action in regard to the licensee, in view of the special circumstances of the case, but they believed the police were absolutely justified' m bringing the charge, „ nd that on the evidence the charge would be upheld.