RE-BOTTLED LIQUOR.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18942, 5 March 1927, Page 14

RE-BOTTLED LIQUOR.

. PUBLICANS HEAVILY FINED. [THE PBEBS SpeeUl Service.] WiiLLLVGWN, March 4. Fire publicans, who bottled other blends of liquor in bottles from which the origiual labels had not been removed were lined £3O each by Mr JS. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-Oay. A sixth, Bert X. Kellecher, licensee of the Albert Hotel, who had been previously convicted of a similar oifence, was lined £4O. Those lined £3O were Jnmes Frobishor, licensee of the .Albion Hotel; Michael Hourkc, licensee of the City Hotel; Ken Kennedy, licensee of tho Te Aro Hotel; all of Wellington; George Henry Atwood, licenseo of tho Railway Hotel, Lower Hutt; and Victor R. Meagher, licensee of the JBelluvuo Hotel, Lower Hutt. Evidence was given I hat in oncli case either gin, whisky, or brandy, hud been put in bottles bearing the lab >!s of well-known and reputable brands, and that in every case the liquor was inferior to that advertised on the label. Mr Perry, for three of the defendants, paid that there was no suggestion that the liquor found in the bottles had been tampered with in any way, or that it was of defective quality, fn *on:» cases the aleholic strength had been higli«r. and in some cases n little lower, than that of the brand for which the labels had been printed. Mr P. S. K. Macassey. who prosecuted: All the liquor was of inferior rn.ility. In imposing the fines mentioned. Mr Paee said that the statute see'n.vl to make the offence a serious one. Defendants were liable to penalties not less than £2O. and as much ns i'JCO. Tn each case the liquor appeared to have been openly displayed, and he couil not therefore impos© the minimum penalty as asked for by counsel.