"PATRIOTIC URGE"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 73, 27 March 1942, Page 6

"PATRIOTIC URGE"

THE YUGOSLAV CLUB

SLY-GROGGING CHARGES

The "patriotic urge" was one of' the causes to which two charges of sly-grogging, brought against the Yugoslav Club (Inc.) in the Magistrate's Court today, were attributed.. During tne hearing" details of patriotic efforts producing the sum of £875 9s Id within a few months were given by counsel1 (Mr. G. C. Kent), who entered a plea of guilty on behalf of the club. In imposing a fine of £25 and costs on one charge, and a conviction and an order to pay costs only on the ' second, " the Magistrate (Mr. W. F. Stilwell) said that it was rather unfortunate that the club had to be prosecuted.

"There has been no- complaint about the conduct of the club," said the Magistrate, "and one v is justified in concluding that perhaps a • degree of carelessness has got into the control and has been perhaps facilitated a little by the 'patriotic urge.'" It was pleasing, said the Magistrate; to have the assurance of counsel that the business would stop.

Sub-Inspector (G.- H. iLambert, prosecuting, said that for some time past the club, situated in Vivian Street, had been under suspicion by the'police on account of the large amount of liquor that had been delivered there. During February a constable and another man visited the club, and they had no difficulty iii obtaining admission. They were met by a man called Tony, who supplied them with two bottles of beer and two glasses, the beer costing Is 9d a bottle. At a later date the constable again visited the club in company with three other men, and they were eventually admitted by - Tony. Men were playing games'and cards, and a number were sitting round the tables drinking. . Most of the people in the place appeared to be Yugoslavs. There were several women, both young and elderly, in the club. The sub-inspector described ■ a raid which was subsequently- carried out;by the police. GENEROUS GIFTS. , He understopd that the profits of the club, which were rather " interesting, had been mainly devoted to patriotic purposes, said the sub-inspector. Generous donations had been given to the Russian Red Gross, the Yugoslav Fund; and the Returned Soldiers' Patriotic Fund. The amount of liquor sold had been enormous, he said. From December 1, the' amount; of liquor purchased by the club amounted to 9780 quart bottles of beer, 60 pint bottles, and a quantity of wine,' whisky, brandy, and gin. Mr. Kent submitted that the club had allowed its enthusiasm to outrun its discretion. The Yugoslav Club was intended to be a little piece of Yugoslavia transplanted in New Zealand, but since the outbreak of war it had extended its activities, with the full support and sympathetic co-operation of the Consul for Yugoslavia. The members of the club, who were only 59 in all, each had individual lockers in the club, and each member -was entitled to bring along his refreshments if he' wanted to. The result was that the men could1 entertain not only themselves and their wives, but also visitors of other nationalities and friends and acquaintances in Wellington. . ; TWO BOTTLES EACH DAILY. "Recently there has been, on the part of the club, a tremendous drive by the 59 members for patriotic purposes, and the, club conceived the idea of purchasing the liquor in bulk, the members _taking the liquor from the club's stocks instead of purchasing it separately," said counsel. "Although 9000 bottles may seem a tremendous number, when it is spread over. 59 members for three months it amounts to two bottles per man per day."

The result of the patriotic drive had been that the club had raised the sum of £875 9s Id over a period of a few months, said counsel, and letters of thanks and commendation had been received from many patriotic bodies. It was a purely unselfish effort on the part of the 59 members, and the drive was still going on. The attendant of the club had had instructions, said counsel, not to supply men whom he did not know, and to supply only members of the club and their friends with liquor, but apparently there had been some slackness. The money for patriotic purposes was raised by games and competitions, arid not through the sale of liquor! As a result of the prosecution; he said, the club would, in future, exercise more control.

'-■ Sub-Inspector Lambert said that the police had no complaint about the way the club was run.