DRINKING OF LIQUOR ON TRAINS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15117, 28 October 1949, Page 3

DRINKING OF LIQUOR ON TRAINS

COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE AT HAMILTON PROVISION OMITTED FROM ACT (P.A.) Hamilton, Oct. 27. The drinking of liquor on trains was the subject of comment by Mr S. L. Paterson, ' S M., in Hamilton today, when Stanley Phillips and William Tibbs Waldron were charged with taking liquor on to the Auck-land-Wellington express at Frankton. The magistrate held that the evidence fell short of proving that the defendants intended to consume the liquor on the train, and the informations were dismissed. Mr Paterson said that from time to time people on trains and other public conveyances made nuisances of themselves by drinking liquor and getting excited, lurching about, and causing an intolerable annoyance to other .passengers. Previously it had been possible for the practice of taking liquor on to trains to be nipped in the bud. Now, under a section of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1948, the Legislature in its wisdom had seen fit to omit that provision from the Act. Consequently, it appeared to be almost impossible to stop that type of conduct unless people were actually seen drinking liquor on trains. The police were handicapped, for drinking often took place a long way between stations, where there were no constables or officials present. The travelling public would thus be subjected to the nuisance.