SUNDAY SOFT DRINKS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17696, 24 January 1918, Page 2

SUNDAY SOFT DRINKS.

SHOPKEEPERS FINED.

Following on similar prosecutions In other centres for Sunday trading, the Christchurch police brought several charges yesterday against shopkeepers who have been in the habit of selling soft drinks on Sundays. George William Watkins and May Watkins (Mr Acland) were charged first, and pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given by two constables who had purchased lemonade or soft drinks at the Colombo Street and Cashel Street shops on Sunday. Mr Acland submitted that times were changing, and soft drinks could he regarded as a necessity, especially as it had been held that they could be sold at New Brighton. He instanced the fact that it had taken three judges to decide that ice-cream was not “meat.” The Magistrate (Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M.) said that neither soft drinks nor ice-cream could be regarded as necessities. Ho would impose a fine of os and costs in each case. John Whittle and Henry Hucks were each fined 10s for a similar offence. Mrs E. Hardy, Miss E. Smith, Mrs Holland and- Emily M’Ewin, and Georgina M. Jones were each 'fined os for a similar offence.