THE LICENSING LAW.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1920, Page 2

THE LICENSING LAW.

HAWERA CASES. At the Magistrate's. Court, Hawera, on Tuesday, j. Riley, licensee of the Dominion Hotel, was charged on the information of -the police with selling liquor during prohibited hours (two offences), exposing liquor for sale, and a breach of the war regulations. C. J. Mahoney and J. Gr. Macro were chargai with breaches of the war regulations and with being on licensed;premises during prohibited hours. Mr. O'Dea said the defence was that Mahoney was a boarder, and under too war regulations a lodger could treat a friend in any part of the house that was not a bar. Sergeant Henry had to establish that the drinking took place in a bar. The Magistrate, in giving his decision, said the case presented some difficulties. The case for the police appeared to be one of the clearest he had hoard. Everything hung on the statement by Mahoney that J;e was a boarder. This statement was corroborated by Mrs. Riley and anotlis: boarder, and Mr. Riley stated that he had booked a bed. The booking of; a bed, he pointed out, did not necessarily constitute a boarder. This had been quite recently laid down in a judgment of the Supreme Court, but if other acta were consistent the evidence could be accepted. The conduct of those concerned in the case when the police arrived was such as to give rise to a great deal of suspicion. Mahoney did stay at the hotel that night and he acted as though he was a boarder. As for tho place in which the liquor was Berved be was satisfied after seeing it that it was not a bar. It had been a bar, but there was now practically. a closed door between it and the bar proper. . The regulations in regard to treating would, while they existed, have to be administered, though it was generally known that thsy were often broken. He would dismiss the whole of the informations.