A LICENSING LOOPHOLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 219, 16 March 1914, Page 2

A LICENSING LOOPHOLE.

POLICE PROSECUTE PUBLICANS UNSUCCESSFULLY. WHAT IS A PUBLIC BAR? By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Friday. The decision in the cases against the licensees of the City, Thames, Metropolitan and VYaverley Hotels, charged with employing unregistered lt.-i-iii.nn.-i, was given by Mr. Fraser, S.M., this afternoon: The Magistrate said lie had visited the hotels in question in consequence of the contention raised hy' Mr. Singer (for the licensee of the Thames Hotel) that the public bars of the hotels co»cerned were not "bars" as defined by the Act, in that they did not open directly on to the street. His Worship said thai in the cases of the Thames, VVaverley ar.:d City Hotels there were vestibules, with inner swing-doors, between the street doors and the bars, which had the elfect of preventing the bars from opening "immediately on to streets," as defined in the Act." Consequently, in view of the decision of Mr. Justice Denniston on the point, the informations in the cases concerning these hotels would be dismissed. In the case of the Metropolitan Hotel, there was no such vestibule separ ating the street door from the bar, and the licensee of that hotel would be convicted on each of two informations and fined in each case £2.