LICENSING LAWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1921, Page 6

LICENSING LAWS.

CHARGES AGAINST HOTELKEEPER. FINES TOTALLING £5O. Quite a batch cl informations concerning the sale of liquor for delivery to a proclaimed area were brought by the police in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday, it being alleged that the licensee of the Urenui Hotel. Mrs. Mary Coleman, had committed breaches of the regulations on fifteen occasions. The cases were heard by Mr. C. R. Orr Walker S.M.

Inspector Hutton explained that defendant was the licensee of the Urenui Hotel situated on the borders of the King Country. Mrs. Coleman had not been before the court on previous occasions, but during the period from March 30 to April 25, had. failed to comply with the law, including the provisions as to keeping a record, and sending notice to the clerk of the court at Te Kuiti, of sales made to persons resident in a no license area. She had also accepted a request for liqiior trade by money order telegram which was also contrary to the regulations. If the police were to have satisfactory records kept on which to work, this would have to stop.

A plea of guilty was entered by Mr. R. H. Quilliam, who explained that Mrs. Coleman had been ill, and a great deal of the management had fallen on her daughter. This, together with the difficulty of obtaining assistance in such places resulted in the management getting behind with some of their work, with the consequence that a number of details had not been attended to. The notifications to be sent to the clerk of the court at Te Kuiti had been made out, but the posting of them was overlooked, for some days.

USE OF MONEY ORDERS. Tn regard to the acceptance of a money order for liquor, counsel said he did not think there was anything surprising in this, as the law was not generally known. In fact it had needed an interpretation by the Supreme Court to decide whether a money order telegram was sufficient. It had been decided it was not a proper order. Thiis was the first occasion cases of the kind had been brought in the district, and the breaches were merely technical ones. Counsel suggested that tlie cases could be met by the imposition of a light penalty in respect of a few, and he suggested the police withdraw some of the infotma-

Inspector Hutton replied that each charge represented one case of whisky. There were charges against the licensee of having >sold whisky to James Ross. C. Stone and A. Sole, residenus of a no-license area, and failing to keep a record of the sales, also with having omitted to send notices to the clerk of the court at Te Kuiti in respect to these sales. Informations were preferred in respect of the supply of liquor to J. J. Anderson. Max Walton, A. J. Cox, and W. S. Thomas, without receiving a proper order (the requests being sent by telegraph), and four further charges of failing to furnish a statement to the clerk of the court at Te Kuiti.

In reviewing the cases, His Worship regarded the failure to keep records a more seriouu matter than the others, as it was important if the police were to keep down sly-grogging. Jiotel-keepers should enter up immediately orders were received for liquor for no-license areas. The fact that defendant had pleaded guilty was a matter in her favor, as cases of the kind had occurred in which perjured evidence was put up in order to get defendants out of the charges. Under all the circumstanceis lie was prepared to take a lenient view of the case, but mere convictions would not be applicable to the case.

On the charge of failing to keep a record of Ross’ purchase on March 30, defendant was fined £2O, costs 7s. For accepting an order from Anderson and other.-; by telegraph, a fine of £2(j, and costs 7s, was imposed. On the information of failure to notify the clerk of the court of transactions, defendant was fined £lO, costs 7s. On all the other charges (twelve) defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs 7s on each. ORDERING BY TELEGRAM. Four men, J. J. Anderson, A. J. Cox. Max Walton, and W. G. Thomas, "were charged with ordering liquor for a proclaimed area from the Urenui Hotel without giving a statement in writing of their name and address. Inspector Hutton said that the defendants were settlers and laborers at Awakino, and telegraphed a money order to Mrs. Coleman for liquor. This was a breach of the laws, as the telegram did not show their names and addresses. Mr. R. H. Quilliam appeared for Cox, Thomas and Walton, and .pleaded guilty. He said that as these were the first cases of the kind, and the offences were purely technical, a heavy fine was not necessary to satisfy justice. Defendants were convicted and fined ;£2, costs 7s, and His Worship said the present eases were merely a -warning to the public to show that persons ordering liquor must comply with the law strictly-

J. J. Anderson, who was charged similarly to the above three defendants, did not appear, but sent a letter admitting the offence. A fine of £2 was also imposed in -this case.