Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

LIQUOR FOR GIRLS

LICENSEE CHARGED

CASE AT NELSON

"NO REDEEMING FEATURE"

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

NELSON, February 26.

"I regard this case as probably the worst I have had before me since I have been in Nelson—that is, in the last 14 or 15 years. I cannot see one redeeming feature about it. It is a very serious state of affairs."

This comment was made by the Magistrate, Mr. T. E. Maunsell, during; tlie hearing of charges against Daniel Ladislas Mahar, licensee of the Bel grove Hotel, of selling liquor aiter hours and supplying liquor to girls under the age of 21.

Mahar was charged with exposing liquor for sale after hours on December 19 and selling liquor after hours on December 20. In addition, there were four charges of supplying liquor to girls under the age of 21.

Senior-Sergeant C. Petersen said that some of the facts were known to the Magistrate, having come to light during an inquest on a fatal accident at Waiiti. Liquor had been sold in the evening to patrons going to a dance, ' and after midnight there were at least twenty people at the hotel and being supplied with liquor. These included four young women, the youngest of whom was 14J, the others being 15£, 17J, and 20. "The supply of liquor to young girls at any time is looked on very seriously," remarked the senior-sergeant,_ "but more seriously when it is done indiscriminately by licensees at hotels." Mr. Brodie (for the accused) said he thought there was little that could be said for any publican knowing he was supplying liquor to young girls, but something might be said for Mahar. The girls were all in evening frocks' and did not look like young girls. Mahar had had noprevious convictions against him. The senior-sergeant had mentioned an accident, but Mclvor and Biggs were there earlier in. the evening. As far as the girls were concerned they were not there until 12.30 the following morning. Any drinking at that time had no relation to the death lhat occurred in the accident. "OBNOXIOUS PRACTICE." "What I regard as serious," said the Magistrate, "is the supplying of liquor to those attending dances at a late hour of night, and it is more particularly serious when it is supplied to women. It is a highly obnoxious practice which is gradually growing up. I am going to stop it if I possibly can. Any licensee who is detected supplying liquor to girls can expect to be very seriously dealt with. I am seriously considering whether I should not endorse the licensee's licence.

"It is serious also in this respect," he continued. "The hotel is a difficult one to supervise. I hope in the future that when dances/are held in that locality the police wjjf. see if there is any drinking going off and then inform me."

Mahar was a nrst offender, and it haJ been laid down there should be no endorsement for first offenders, but he was going to show no consideration in the matter of fines, said the Magistrate. He imposed fines of £5 10s and costs on each of the charges relating to supplying liquor to girls, £2 and 10s costs for exposing liquor, and £3 and 10s costs for selling liquor after hours.

Mr. Brodie asked that leniency be extended in this case.

The Magistrate: I am sorry, but if this is a case where I can extend leniency I can't conceive of a case where a penalty should be heavy. "He has been flagrantly ignoring the law. I have seen some comments in the Press," said Mr. Maunsell, "by people interested in social matters, and it has been disturbing the minds of many a parent in New Zealand."

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19370227.2.62

Bibliographic details

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 10

Word Count
623

LIQUOR FOR GIRLS Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 10

LIQUOR FOR GIRLS Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 10

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert