KAIAPOI.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15747, 14 November 1916, Page 5

KAIAPOI.

(Before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.) WAR REGULATIONS ACT. Thomas McGratli. licensee of the Kaikanui Hotel, pleaded not guilty to having permitted a woman to loiter near a bar on licensed premises. Marv Keliher was charged with having loitered near tlio bar of tho Kaikanui Hotel after 6 on October 23rd. The rases were taken together. Mr F. W. Johnston appeared for defendants. Sergeant Mackay conducted the case for tho police and submitted that the main question was whether Miss Keliher could be classed as fi servant under the Act, seeing that she was only a casual worker. Evidence for the defence showed that Miss Keliher, -on leaving the hotel on October 23rd, had passed the bar, and on seeing her brother there had stopped to ask if he was coming home. She had been employed more "or less regularly in assisting at washing and housekeeping for the past eight and a half years, but had not been paid a regular weekly wage, although her earnings during the past three months had averaged 25s per week. She .had ~io set hours, only working when necessary. The Magistrate held that she was not a servant within tho meaning of the War Regulations Act. The clanse in the Act was hardly drawn for dealing with a case of this sort, but the law must be upheld. He inflicted a line of £1 and costs (7s) in each case.

ILL-TREATING A HORSE. H. McGratli (Mr Conlan) pleaded not guilty to ill-treating a horse through working it with a sore shoaldel". He was fined 40s and costs 7s. DEFENCE CASES. A case against Hugh McGuire, charged with failing to register under the Defence Act, was adjourned for a fortnight. Albert Norton and Cecil Lvnskey, both charged with a similar offence, had since registered, and were therefore convicted and discharged. PROHIBITION BREACH. Peter Dohertv. for a breach of bis prohibition order, was fined 20s costs 7s.