A PUBLICAN’S LICENSE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1922, Page 5

A PUBLICAN’S LICENSE.

OBJECTION BY THE POLICE. • ALLEGED IMPROPER CONDUCT. The police applied to a sitting of the Egmont Licensing Committee at El" tham yesterday for the cancellation of the license of the Normanby Hotel, held by F. D. Buckley, alleging that the house * was conducted in an improper manner. Tire case was finally adjourned till next sitting of the committee, after the hearing of lengthy evidence, and the loeal comsta/le was instructed tp report on the future conduct of the hotel. Sergeant Henry conducted the ease for the police and Mr. J. Ryan ap. peared on behalf of the licensee. Constable Pidgeon. in evidence, said that during the last six months he had had considerable trouble with the hotel, a number of people frequenting the premises after hours. Witness mentioned the names of 14 persons who had been before the Court at various times for being on the premises after hours, and on other charges. These included several natives. There should be no difficulty, witness said, in conducting the Normanby Hotel, but there was more trouble with this house than with the other hotel in Normanby. The ea.*es previously before the Court were recounted in evidence, it being shown by Mr. Ryan that there was only one conviction against Buckley himself, the other charges concerning persons found on the premises. Constable Pidgeon stressed the difficulty of watching the premises, stating that evidently scouts were kept out to watch for the police. Certain people stood about on corners and disappeared when the police hove in sight.

Mr. Ryan, in opening his case, said a single offence by the licensee was not sufficient ground upon which to cancel a publican’s license, but something like habitual bad conduct of the hotel must be proved. The law would not allow the licensing bench to cancel the license under tlm circumstances.

F. D. Buckley, the licensee of the hotel, said he was a tea merchant before taking his present license. He had had no special difficulty in conducting the hotel. He absolutely denied serving liquor to anyone after hours. Explaining the case in which he was fined for selling brandy to a man on a Sunday, Buckley sgjd the man had come to him for brandy because hie mother was ill. Witness refused to give it to him without permission from the constable. The man then went away and came back later saying that it was all right; and witness gave him a bottle of brandy. The magistrate had accepted his explanation and fined him only 5s and costs.

In adjourning the case until the next quarterly sitting of the licensing committee, the chairman said the onus of proof that the hotel had been conducted in an improper manner was thrown upon the prosecution. It was plain that the licensee had been conducting the hotel in an extremely loose if not negligent, manner, but whether it was conducted in an improper mgji■ner was a different question.