Bid To Stamp Out Sunday Trading In Dunedin Hotels

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31498, 12 October 1967, Page 1

Bid To Stamp Out Sunday Trading In Dunedin Hotels

(New Zealand Press Association)

Extra patrols will be put on to end the so-called Sunday morning “church service” gatherings at many hotels and the bottle sales to minors which often/ form a substantial part of the afternoon trading of some hotels.

Superintendent E. B. McCallum said the public now had drinking laws which

they could respect. Licensees and the public could expect a hard approach by the police In the enforcement of the new laws.

Other policemen intimated that information had been gathered as to the type of trading in which hotels were engaged.

Already there were a number of prosecutions pending for Sunday trading. Considerably more would result from increased police patrols if hotels continued the trading, he said. COVER MEN Asked about permanent guests at many hotels who enjoyed cheap board in return for covering, after hours drinkers, Mr McCallum said he’ was confident that under constant police attention they ’ would gradually disappear. Policemen carrying out hotel inspections this week

had noticed the sudden decrease in the popularity of hotel permanent boarders. “Before 10 p.m. these ‘cover men’ were always surrounded by a great crowd of chaps for whom they were supposed to be buying drinks,” he said. “Now they are sitting by themselves like old vultures on a fence.” Mr McCallum said that the police were not prepared to accept that week after week the same permanent lodgers Were entertaining half a dozen and more guests. Many of the prosecutions already pending for Sunday trading

were, however, for sales of bottles and flagons. “We may question the cover men one week but they can expect that the questions will be much harder the next time,” he said. FLAGON TRADE Other police said there was a lot of Sunday trading going on in the city. Some hotels had a particularly large trade in flagons. “It is mostly under-age drinkers that we' catch taking liquor away from hotels on Sundays,’’ one said. “It is hardly ever older chaps.”

DUNEDIN, October 11. Police plan to stamp out Sunday trading by Dunedin hotels.