THE LICENSING ACT.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 72, 17 March 1914, Page 6

THE LICENSING ACT.

AUCKLAND, March 13. In the cases against the licensees of the City, Thames, Metropolitan and Waverley Hotels, who were charged with employing unregistered barmaids, Mr Fraser, S.M., gave his decision this .afternoon. The magistrate said he had visited the hotels in question in consequence of the contention .raised by Mr Singer (for the licensee of the Thames Hotel) that the bars were not public bars, as defined in the Act, in that they did not open directly on to tho street. His Worship said that in the cases of tho Thames, Waverley, and City Hotels there were vestibules with innerswing doors between the street door and the bars, which had the effect of preventing tho bars from opening "immediately" on to the street, as defined in the Act, consequently, in view of the decision of Mr Justice Denniston on the point, tho informations concerning these hotels would be dismissed. In the case of the Metropolitan Hotel there was no such vestibule separating the street door from the bar," and the licensee of that hotel would be convicted on each of two informations and fined £2 in each case.