SOLDIERS AND LIQUOR

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1942, Page 2

SOLDIERS AND LIQUOR

MAGISTRATE’S COMMENT

BLENHEIM. May 20

The effect of the present licensing laws, now that the country was on a war footing was commented on in the Magistrate’s Court at Blenheim when a case was dealt with involving a hotelkeeper and a number of soldiers who were found after hours on his premises. “I can xee the difficulty that mikiary training prevents these men getting drink in the hours laid down by the act,” said the Magistrate (Mr, T. E. Maunsell). “That is the unfortunate part of the whole thing. It is pretty hard, ’ said Senior-Sergeant Smyth. “Some ol' these men speak pretty roughly about it at times. They say that when they are not being followed about by the bugler they are being followed about by the police. These men should have some consideration. They are very well conducted on the whole and they arc a credit to their uniform,” he said.

Mr. Maunsell said he had the same difficulty as the police. “I can’t wink an eye at it, as ft is against the law, ' he said. A territorial officer in Court said that the soldiers had no . opportunity of getting in for a drink during their training hours, and in addition, all they handled of their pay was half a crown a day. Mr. Maunsell: I can't help it. It is where the law stands. Subsequently the Magistrate said he would reduce several fines of 10/and costs which he had already imposed on soldiers found on hotel promises after hours to 5/- and costs.