“SLY GROG” SELLING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 206, 1 August 1939, Page 12

“SLY GROG” SELLING

SERIES OF CHARGES. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, July 31. ; Complaints to the police about “sly grog” selling by storekeepers in the vicinity of Public Works Department camps on tho South Island Ain in Trunk line resulted in inquiries by detectives from Christchurch, and subsequently numerous charges of “sly grog” selling were heard in the Alagistrate’s Court this morning. Four persons were concerned in the charges, three being storekeepers and one tho wife of a. storekeeper. Fines of £SO and costs were imposed on the first three by Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., and the wife was fined £lO. Defendants were • Maude Stead, of Domett, who faced four charges of selling liquor without a license, and was fined £SO and costs on the firstcliarge, and order to pay costs on the others; George William Dransfiold, of Conway, who was fined £SO on the first of three charges of selling liquor without a license and costs on the others: Airs Ada Dransfield, who was fined £lO on the first of two charges; and Joseph Cannon, of Parnassus, who was fined £SO on one of 10 . charges, five of which the Alagistrate withdrew and ordered him to pay costs on tho other four. All entered pleas of guilty.

Chief-Detective Dunlop said that search warrants had Ixeen issued and in Stead’s store, on the Alain North Road, 29 bottles of ale were found. Several sales had been made. Tho liquor had been bought at 12s Gd a dozen bottles and sold at 18s. At Dransfielcl’s store 14 dozen Kittles had been found, and lie had been selling liquor at 21s a dozen. His wife had had a part in the selling, and both had admitted tho offence. Twelve dozen bottles were found at Cannon’s store, and he had also bought ale at 12s Gd and sold it at 21s a dozen. “There is no suggestion of disorder at these stores or that any disorder arose at the camps as a result of liquor being supplied,” said the chief detective. -

Counsel said the main reason for the offence springing iu> was the distance away that the Public Works Department men were from the nearest hoiel. “They obviously found it profitable to carry on this 'offence,” said the Alagistrate when he imposed the fines.