"GOING TO STOP."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 13

"GOING TO STOP."

DRINKING BY GIRLS.

IN HOTEL AT MIDNIGHT.

LICENSEE TO PAY FINES.

(By Telegraph.—rress Association.) N hf.Si )X. Friday. I regard this case as probably tho worst I liave had l>ef<ire me since 1 have been in Nelson—that is, in the last 14 or 1) years. I cannot see one redeeming feature about it. It is a very serious state of affairs."' This comment was made hy Mr. T. K. .Maunsell, S.M.. during the hearing of charges against Daniel Ladislas .Maliar. licensee of the Belgiove Hotel, of selling liijiior after hours, and supplying liquor to girls under the age of Jl. "The supply of liquor to young girls at am time is looked on very seriouslv, but more seriously when it is* done indiscriminately by licensees at hotels.'' The senior sergeant stated that 20 people were at the hotel after midnight and were ibeing supplied with liquor, rhey included girls and voung women aged 14*, 15$, 17A and 20* Mr. Brodie, for the accused, said he thought there was little that could be said for any publican knowing he was supplying liquor to young girls but something might be said for Mahar. The girls were all in evening frocks and did not look like young girls. Mahar had had no previous convictions against him. " Highly Obnoxious Practice." "What I regard as serious," said the magistrate, "is supplying liquor to those attending dances at a late hour, and it is more serious when it is supplied to women. It is a highly obnoxious practice, which is gradually growing up. 1 am going to stop it if I possibly can. Any licensee who is detected supplying liquor to girls can expect to lie very -seriously • dealt with. 1 am seriouslv considering whether I should not endorse Jie licensee's license.

' It is serious also in this respect that the hotel is a difficult one to sii]>ervise,'' he said. "I hope in future that when dances are held in that locality the police wil! see if there is any drinking going on. and then inform me."' Ma liar was a first offender, and it had been laid down that there should i>e no endorsement for first offenders, said the magistrate, but he was going to show no consideration in the matter of lines. He imposed tines of £5 and 10/ costs on each of four charges relating to supplying liquor to girls. £2 and°lo costs for exposing liquof for sale, and £3 and 10/ costs for selling liquor after hours.